Jamaican Chinese Cantonese Dumpling Recipe

I have always loved Cantonese Dumpling but never really tried cooking them. Well,I finally came up with a recipe using ingredients that I like. This is a somewhat complicated recipe but the results are well worthwhile. Try my Cantonese Dumpling Recipe.

Filling ingredients

6 to 10 dried black mushrooms
¼ lb. raw pork
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup finely diced raw shrimp, about ¼ lb.
¼ cup lard
¾ cup finely diced bamboo shoots
½ cup finely diced roast pork
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon dry sherry
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
80 to 120 fresh cilantro leaves without stems

Method

Place the mushrooms in a bowl and pour hot, not boiling, water to cover.
Let stand 15 to 30 minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess moisture. Cut off
tough stems and discard. Slice and dice mushrooms finely to make about ½ cup.
Cut raw pork into small dice and mix well with half the cornstarch. Set aside.
Place shrimp in another bowl and add the other half of cornstarch. Mix well . Set aside.
Heat lard in wok or fry pan, and when hot, add raw pork. Stir to break up any lumps.
When pork browns, add bamboo shoots, roast pork, mushrooms, shrimp, salt, sugar, sherry, sesame oil, pepper. Mix well.
Spoon mixture into bowl (about 4 cups of mixture)
Cool thoroughly. May even be chilled until ready to use.

Dough ingredients

2 cups all-purpose wheat flour
8 tablespoons rice flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 ¾ cups boiling water
1 tablespoon lard

Method

Combine all-purpose flour, rice flour, and cornstarch in mixing bowl.
Gradually add the 2 ¾ cups boiling water while stirring rapidly.
As soon as the dough is cool enough to handle, knead until it becomes stiff.
Immediately add lard. Turn dough out onto a clean board and knead while still hot, about 5 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball and place in clean mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let stand for 3 or 4 minutes.
Lightly oil a plate that will fit into the top of the steamer.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a sausage shape about 16 inches long.
One piece at a time, cut each piece into approximately twenty 1 ½ inch pieces.
Roll each into a ball.
Roll each ball out into a circle, 3 to 3 ½ inches in diameter. Place the circles side by side.
Avoid overlapping or stacking as they will stick together. Keep them covered with a damp cloth to keep them moist.
When one piece has been completely rolled out, fill with 2 level teaspoons of filling.
Place a cilantro leaf or two on top of the filling.
Bring up the other side of each wrapper and pinch the edges together all around to make a filled ‘cup’. Place the filled dumpling on the oiled plate with the cilantro side facing up.
Continue until all the circles are filled, keeping the finished dumplings covered with cloth to avoid drying out.
Repeat the process with the remaining sausages of dough until either the filling or the pastry has been used up, arranging the dumplings on oiled plates.
Now place in the top of the steamer over boiling water. Cover closely and steam from 5 to 8 minutes, until thoroughly done.
Serve hot on plates they were steamed on, with a dipping sauce made of the oyster sauce and sesame oil blended together.

Yield: 75 to 80 dumplings.

Note: The raw filled dumplings may be frozen for up to a month, after sealing them securely, plate and all, in foil or plastic wrap. When ready to use, steam without defrosting, increasing the steaming time to 15 to 20 minutes.