Yields 15–18 dumplings

Adding oil before steaming helps prevent the Siu Mai from sticking to the heatproof plate.

¼ pound (4 ounces) fresh shrimp

3 medium dried mushrooms

1 cup ground pork

1½ green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup canned bamboo shoots, shredded

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 package Siu Mai or wonton wrappers

Oil for coating heatproof plate

• Wash and devein the shrimp, and chop finely. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for at least 20 minutes to soften. Drain, remove the stems, and slice finely.

• Combine the ground pork, shrimp, green onions, dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.

• To wrap the Siu Mai: Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Do not fold the wrapper over the filling. Gather up the edges of the wrapper and gently pleat the sides so that it forms a basket shape, with the top open.

• Lightly coat a heatproof plate with oil. Place the dumplings on the plate. Place the plate on a bamboo steamer in a wok set up for steaming. Steam the dumplings for 5–10 minutes or until they are cooked.

Mix and Match

Feel free to experiment by trying the different fillings with any of the dumplings. For example, potsticker fans could use this recipe to make potstickers instead of siu mai. The sticky rice recipes also work well in dumplings or with other wrappers such as banana leaves.