PORK AND SHRIMP SIU MAI

Makes 24 shumai

Make a batch of these classic Cantonese-style siu mai, and they’ll transport you to your favorite dim sum restaurant. The hallmark of quality siu mai is a well-emulsified pork and shrimp filling that has some “snap” when you bite into it. To achieve this, the old-school way is to whip the filling using chopsticks in one direction for a long time (like, halfway through an episode of “Jeopardy!”). It occurred to me that an electric mixer could do the job just as well — and faster too! (This technique also works for other dumpling and bao fillings.) The finishing touch? Instead of the recognizable (but hard-to-find) bright orange fish roe on the top, we use finely minced carrots for a pop of color.

For the filling

3 small or 1 to 2 large dried shiitake mushrooms ½ cup hot water

8 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp (any size) 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1⁄8 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons water

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper powder

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

For assembling:

24 very thin yellow Hong Kong-style round dumpling wrappers or thin yellow square wonton wrappers

2 tablespoons very finely minced carrot Chile oil or chile garlic sauce, for serving

Make the filling: Soak the shiitake mushrooms in the hot water for 2 hours (or overnight) until fully rehydrated. Squeeze any excess water out of the mushrooms. Trim away any tough stems and very finely chop the mushrooms — you should have about ¼ cup.

Add the shrimp to a medium bowl and toss them with 1 teaspoon of the sugar, the baking soda and the 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside for 15 minutes, then rinse the shrimp in a colander under running water until the water runs clear. Drain.

Meanwhile, to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or just a large bowl if mixing by hand), add the ground pork, the remaining tablespoon of sugar, the cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, salt and white pepper. Mix on medium-low speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture resembles a paste that sticks to the sides of the bowl. (Alternatively, mix vigorously in one direction with a pair of chopsticks by hand for 10 to 15 minutes until you get the same result.)

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the shrimp and beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the shrimp is well incorporated into the pork, another 2 minutes. (If mixing by hand, roughly chop the shrimp, add them to the pork and mix in one direction for 10 minutes.)

Add the chopped mushrooms, the neutral oil, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute (or by hand for 2 to 3 minutes).

Assemble the siu mai: Line a bamboo steamer with perforated parchment paper, damp cheesecloth or thin cabbage leaves. Take one wrapper and place a tablespoon of filling in the middle. Squeeze the sides of the wrapper up around the edges of the filling to create an open-topped pocket. Use a butter knife to continue filling the wrapper until it’s stuffed to the top with filling, and then scrape the top flat. (Each siu mai should weigh about 35 grams.) If using square wrappers, fold over any excess wrapper and squeeze the wrappers to the sides of the siu mai.

Continue until you’ve assembled all the siu mai, transferring them to the lined steamer basket as you go, placed 1 inch apart. (Place any siu mai that don’t fit in the steamer on a parchment-lined plate or sheet pan to cook in later batches or freeze; see “make ahead” below.) Top the center of each siu mai with a small amount of the minced carrot.

Cook the siu mai: Fill a wok with enough water to submerge the bottom rim of your bamboo steamer by ½ inch (you may need to add more boiling water during steaming to keep the water at this level). Bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place the covered steamer in the wok and steam each batch over medium heat for 9 minutes. Serve with the chile oil.

Make ahead: Place the assembled siu mai ½-inch apart on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap (or use a clean plastic grocery bag) and freeze overnight. Once frozen, transfer the siu mai to an airtight container. Cook the frozen siu mai directly (without thawing first). Steam for 11 minutes.

Reprinted with permission from “The Woks of Life” by Bill Leung, Kaitlin Leung, Judy Leung and Sarah Leung, copyright © 2022. Photographs by Sarah Leung and Kaitlin Leung. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.