YUM CHA AT HOME

There are few better things to hear someone say on a Sunday than “let’s do yum cha”. We’ve embraced the Cantonese traditional brunch of dim sum and tea as our own, heading to Chinatown to pick up chopsticks ready to devour those delicious morsels found within steaming bamboo baskets. “Yes, (dim sum) is my weakness and my obsession,” chef and author Tony Tan says.

While even in Hong Kong most people are happy to leave dim sum to the masters, Tony says with a bit of practice, dumplings can be quick to master. Here are Tony’s tips:

When mixing the filling, you need to bind the proteins until you have a sticky, thick consistency. Dim sum masters will stir with chopsticks 20 times to get the mixture just right. Refrigerate the mix for 20 minutes so it’s firm when placing on wonton wrappers.

For a dipping sauce, seek out “young ginger” from Asian grocers, which has a milder, cooler taste compared with regular ginger. Finely slice this and add to light soy sauce or vinegar. Chop red chilli and add to soy for another, spicier sauce on the side.

Always use baking paper in the bamboo baskets so the dumplings don’t stick. Pierce holes in this so the steam surrounds the dumplings, which will take around eight minutes to cook over boiling water in a wok. Never let the water touch the basket.