Shumai

Shumai (Pork Dumplings)
The origins of Shumai, a traditional Chinese pork dumpling, date back to the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). Its filling is typically made with seasoned ground pork, chopped shrimp and Shiitake mushrooms then wrapped with thin wonton wrappers to be either steamed or fried. Shumai is one of the most popular dishes served during Dim Sum, a Cantonese term meaning dishes of small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate.

A huge lover of all things Dim Sum, I jumped at the opportunity to learn how to make these luscious dumplings from my boyfriend's father. He typically comes up with his recipes, like this version of Shumai, from the availability of ingredients from his fridge and pantry. A lesson on how to be resourceful and be confident to try new ingredients in familiar dishes to shake things up! A unique ingredient in this recipe is Chinese sausage, also known as Lap Chong.

Did you know: The Dim Sum cuisine originated with Cantonese farmers who would take a midday break after an exhausting morning tilling the fields to enjoy afternoon tea. Soon entrepreneurial tea-house owners began serving farmers small snacks with their tea. These "small snacks" would eventually evolve into the culinary art of Dim Sum!

Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground lean pork
- 1 cup Chinese sausage (Lap Chong), finely chopped
- 1/2 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup Shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup green onion, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup onion, minced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ground pepper
- wonton wrappers

Delicious Tip: Wonton wrappers dry out easily so always cover both unused and completed Shumai under a damp dish cloth.

Preparation:

1. Combine the pork, Chinese sausage, mushrooms, green onion, onion, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and ground pepper, and mix well until it forms a paste.

2. Place about a tablespoon of pork filling on each wonton wrapper, and crimp up the sides to form ripples, leaving the center open. Flatten the bottom of the dumpling on the counter so that it will stand up. Then top with a whole shrimp. When all the Shimai dumplings are filled, steam in a bamboo steamer for about 5-6 minutes, until cooked. Served with soy sauce or other desired dipping sauces. Oh so tasty!

Try this! Be creative with your dipping sauces and try these simple recipes for your next Shumai fix! Creamy mustard sauce: In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of mustard, 1 teaspoon of water, 1/4 teaspoon of sesame sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Soy-vinegar sauce: In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of minced ginger and 1/4 cup of finely chopped green onion.