Pork & mushroom siu mai

Ready in 45 mins Makes 16

1½ cups dried sliced shiitake mushrooms

350g pork mince (or chicken mince) 2 spring onions, very finely chopped 2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp cornflour

1 Tbsp sesame oil

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp fine white pepper

16 round or square wonton wrappers 1 Tbsp black sesame seeds, to garnish

SOY VINEGAR DIPPING SAUCE

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup black Chinese vinegar

A couple of drops of chilli oil or sesame oil

Spring onion/scallion, thinly sliced and sesame seeds, to garnish

Cover mushrooms with boiling water and allow to soak until softened (about 15 minutes). Drain and chop finely. Place in a bowl with chicken, spring onions, oyster sauce, cornflour, sesame oil, sugar, salt and fine white pepper and stir to combine. Make dipping sauce. Place soy sauce, vinegar and chilli oil or sesame oil in a jar or bowl and shake or stir to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and put to one side. Place 1-1½ Tbsp of filling in the centre of a dumpling wrapper, ensuring at least a 1½ cm border of wrapper around the edges. Pull up the sides and squeeze around the filling, leaving top open. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Steam until cooked through and springy to the touch (10 minutes). Serve hot with dipping sauce. Garnish with spring onion and sesame seeds before serving.

ANNABEL SAYS: Chinese black vinegar has a deeper flavour (more like balsamic vinegar) and is used in dipping sauces and stir-fries. Thanks to my dear friend Maylene Lai for introducing me to the wonderful dipping sauce I’ve included in this recipe, which works well with any kind of dumpling.