My First Time with XLB

Making Xiao Long Bao is best left to the experts. Although generally viewed as simple dumplings, there's a real artistry that goes into each of these little soup-filled purses of deliciousness. My attempts with the skin came out rubbery and thick, but the filling was savory with little bursts of juice (although not soupy like I had wanted them to be!). However, I believe I may have put too much gluten in the wrapper dough and will take it easy next time I make these.

With the help of a friend, we tried desperately to make 18 pleats for the fold, but we usually ended up with 10 or less. Alas, there's a first time for everything!

Xiao Long Bao

Ingredients

Wrapper

3/4 cup high gluten flour (mix scant 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour with 1/2 tbsp of wheat gluten powder if you do not have any bread flour)
1/3 cup less 1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup boiling water
flour for dusting

Soup

1/4 lbs skin of pork
2 sweet chinese sausages
1 scallion
1 pounded piece of ginger
chinese rice wine
salt

Filling

1/2 lbs ground pork (use the fatty kind)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger and scallions
white pepper
sugar
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
Splash of chinese rice wine

Making the soup



Wash and clean pork skin. Parboil in boiling water with the chicken breast and ham. Place all the meat in a saucepan with 6 cups of water. Add scallion and ginger and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer till pork skin is soft. Continue simmering till only 2 cups of liquid remains. Strain and reserve the liquid keeping the pork skin. Diced the saved pork skin. Whizz the pork skin and liquid in a blender till milky. Season with salt and leave to cool. Use before it gelatinizes.

Preparing the Filling



Place the ground pork into a mixing bowl. Add salt and light soy sauce. Stir with chopstick or wooden spoon continously and in one direction only. Add the rest of the ingredients. Continue to stir in the same direction until the mixture forms a thick paste. Pour in one cup of the prepared soup, a little at a time, stirring to mix thoroughlly with the pork. Wrap in cling film and put in the refrigerator to cool.

Preparing the wrapper



In a large mixing bowl, mix the 3/4 cups of high gluten flour and 1/3 cup less one tablespoon less water until it resembles bread crumbs. Knead into a dough. Place the plain flour in a mixing bowl. In a small saucepan bring 1/4 cup of water to the boil. Add the 1/3 cup plain flour and move the saucepan away from the flame, stirring the flour vigorously with a wooden spoon. Leave it to cool a little before kneading together with the high gluten flour dough prepared earlier. Cover with clean damp cloth and leave to rest for 4 hours.

Forming the dumplings


Place 2 teaspoons of oil on the worktop, put the dough on top and knead for a little while. Cut the dough into 4 quarters. Form one quarter into a cylinder. Divide the cylinder into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand into a disk. Use a rolling pin to roll the disk out forming a thin disk with the edges thinner than the center. Make a well with you thumb and first finger and drape the disk over. Let it sag in the middle to form a recess for the filling. Use a teaspoon to place 2 teaspoons of filling. Carefully gather the edge of wrapper making folds and holding on to them till fully gathered. Traditionally, 18 folds are made. Do not let your finger touch the filling while doing this or you will make a mess. Do the same for the rest.

Steaming


Cut out cabbage leave disks or use thin slices of carrot and stick one piece to the bottom of each dumpling. Place the dumplings in a bamboo steamer. In a large saucepan or wok, bring water to a rolling boil. Sit the steamer on a rack over the boiling water, close the lid and steam for seven minutes. The dumpling is done when the filling feels firm to the touch. Serve with a small dish of thinly shredded ginger in Chinese black vinegar (very similar to Worcestshire sauce).