📝 About This Recipe
Widely considered the crown jewel of Shanghainese street food, these delicate 'soup dumplings' are a feat of culinary engineering. Each pleated parcel holds a succulent pork filling and a burst of rich, savory golden broth that melts from a chilled aspic during steaming. Mastering the thin, translucent wrapper and the signature 18-fold pleat is a rewarding ritual that brings the bustling tea houses of China right into your kitchen.
🥗 Ingredients
The Savory Soup Gelatin (Aspic)
- 2 cups Chicken or Pork Stock (high-quality or homemade)
- 1 tablespoon Gelatin Powder (unflavored)
- 3 slices Ginger (smashed)
- 1 stalk Scallion (cut into 2-inch pieces)
The Pork Filling
- 1 pound Ground Pork (ideally 70% lean, 30% fat)
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce (light soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine (Chinese cooking wine)
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil (toasted)
- 1 teaspoon Sugar (to balance the salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon White Pepper (finely ground)
- 1 tablespoon Ginger (grated and squeezed for juice)
The Dumpling Dough
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 1/2 cup Hot Water (just off the boil)
- 1/4 cup Cold Water (room temperature)
Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 cup Chinkiang Black Vinegar (authentic Chinese black vinegar)
- 1 inch Ginger (peeled and sliced into fine matchsticks)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Prepare the soup gelatin: In a small saucepan, simmer the stock with ginger and scallions for 10 minutes. Strain, stir in the gelatin until dissolved, and pour into a shallow pan. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until firmly set.
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2
Once the gelatin is set, finely mince it with a knife until it resembles small, glistening diamonds. Keep chilled until ready to use.
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3
Make the dough: Place flour in a large bowl. Gradually add the hot water while stirring with chopsticks, followed by the cold water. Knead by hand for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.
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4
Prepare the filling: In a bowl, combine ground pork, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, and ginger juice. Stir vigorously in one direction for 5 minutes until the meat becomes a sticky paste.
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5
Fold the minced soup gelatin into the pork mixture gently. Keep this filling in the refrigerator while you prepare the wrappers to prevent the gelatin from melting.
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6
Divide the rested dough into small pieces, roughly 12-15 grams each. Roll each piece into a ball.
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7
Roll out the wrappers: Using a small rolling pin, flatten a ball into a circle. Roll the edges thinner than the center; this 'belly' ensures the bottom doesn't break under the weight of the soup.
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8
Assemble: Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Using your thumb and index finger, create small pleats around the edge, pinching them together as you go.
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9
Aim for at least 18 pleats, twisting the top slightly at the end to seal the 'crown' of the dumpling completely.
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10
Prepare the steamer: Line a bamboo steamer with perforated parchment paper or cabbage leaves to prevent sticking.
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11
Place dumplings in the steamer, leaving at least 1 inch of space between them as they will expand slightly.
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12
Steam over high heat for 8-10 minutes. The wrappers should look translucent and the dumplings should look 'heavy' with liquid.
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13
Serve immediately inside the steamer basket to retain heat, accompanied by the ginger and black vinegar dipping sauce.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use fatty ground pork; the fat is essential for a tender texture and rich flavor. When rolling wrappers, keep the remaining dough covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out and cracking. Don't overfill the dumplings; if the seal isn't perfect, the precious soup will leak out during steaming. If you don't have a bamboo steamer, a metal steamer works, but be careful of condensation dripping onto the dumplings. To eat safely: place the dumpling on a spoon, poke a small hole to let steam escape, sip the soup, then eat the rest.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
A side of blanched Bok Choy with oyster sauce to cut through the richness. A pot of hot Jasmine or Oolong tea to cleanse the palate between bites. Crispy seaweed peanuts for a crunchy textural contrast. A light cucumber salad with garlic and chili oil. Extra julienned ginger on the side for those who love a spicy, fresh kick.