The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang

To me the is one reason to drag yourself out of bed on a Sunday… Dim Sum.

 No matter how I feel, nor what stupidity has occurred the night before the promise of dumplings is a call too strong to resist.

To me Dim Sum or Yum Cha is the total sensory experience, it ushers you away from your daily life….  There is something magical about walking into a crowded restaurant in Chinatown, bustling with an energy that is totally uncharacteristic for a lazy Sunday.

When you finally get seated your table is reset before your eyes, you sip your first sip of tea and sit back watching as hundreds of carts careen around the room, pluming steam like ancient, wheezing engines that time has forgotten. When one of these shambolic jalopies stops at your table, stacked with teetering towers of bamboo steamers you can only salivate with the promise of whatever delight lay within…

I always overindulge on these days… one taste is never enough… but oh my, is there a better start to a week?

This recipe isn’t new but I do love to cook this at home during the week as I wait with baited breath for Sunday to come around.

Pork, Prawn and Scallop Dumplings with a Black Vinegar and Chilli Sauce

Makes about 40 

For the Sui Mai Dumplings

180g Prawns

300g Pork Mince

150g Scallops

3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

100g Water Chestnuts

2 Tbsp Shaoxing Rice Wine

2 Tsp Sesame Oil

½ tsp Ground Black Pepper

2 Tbsp Chopped Ginger

1 Tsp Chopped Garlic

1 Spring Onion Chopped

8 Chives Chopped

1 Egg Beaten

2 Tbsp Cornflour

40 Dumpling Wrappers

For the Dipping Sauce

125ml Light Soy Sauce

3 Tbsp Black Rice Vinegar

1 Tbsp Chilli Oil

Method

1.   Peel and devein the prawns, clean scallops and remove roe and abductor muscle.

2.   Mince roughly and add to a bowl with mince.

3.   Finely dice Water Chestnuts add to bowl

4.   Chop Chives, Spring Onion, Ginger and Garlic and add to bowl

5.   Add Soy, Rice Wine, Sesame Oil & Pepper to bowl

6.   Beat one egg, add cornflour and Mix well ensuring there are no lumps. Add to bowl and mix together well.

7.   Place about ¾ of a tablespoon of mixture in centre of dumpling wrapper, squeeze the wrapper together lightly between your thumb and index finger to form a parcel and then press down and flatten the top of the dumpling with a knife.

8.   Heat a wok with water and place a bamboo steamer on the top (or use a regular steamer if you don’t have one) that has been lined with baking paper with holes punched into it.

9.   Cook for about 12 minutes.

10.                While you are waiting mix your dipping sauce in a bowl.

11.                And you are done…. Top with some chives… start dipping and eating!!!