Xiao Long Bao (Steamed soup dumpling)

I like making little snacks but I always shy away from making xiao long bao. Yes, I love eating them very much especially when I'm away in Taiwan or back in Singapore. Of course Ding Tai Fung serves good xiao long bao but for the authentic version one can find in Nanxiang xiao long bao in Shanghai. One fine day I hope .......

So here I am in my first attempt on making xiao long bao.....

Xiao Long Bao

Ingredients

Soup Jelly
4 cups of water
6 chicken wings

• 5 dried scallops-soak till sot


• 2 spring onion


• 1 knob of ginger, smashed


• 3 cloves of garlic-smashed


• 1 tbsp of gelatin powder
  Bring to boil all the above ingredients (except gealtin powder). Once boiling, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 2hrs. Off the fire.

1. Sieve the boiling liquid into a bowl. Then stir in the gelatin powder, mix well so that it's not lumpy.



2. Pour the liquid into a plate and let it to cool in fridge until it sets. Then cut into cube.

Filling

• 500 gm of mince pork


• 100 gm prawn-finely chopped


• 4 spring onion-finely chopped


• 3 tbsp soya sauce


• 1 tsp of white pepper


• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine


• 1 tsp sesame oil


• 1 tsp sugar

1. Mixed all the ingredients, also add in the cut soup jelly. Mixed well. Set aside in the fridge until you're ready to wrap the xiao long bao.
   

Skin

• 3 cups plain flour


• 1 cup boiling water


• 1 tsp vegetable oil


• 4 tbsp cold water

1. In a large mixing bowl, put in the flour. Pour in the boiling water, use a chopstick and continue to stir vigorously.


2. Then add in the vegetable oil and cold water, use your hand to knead the dough. The dough should feel sticky. Continue to knead for about 5minutes into a soft dough. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 30minutes.


3. Lay the bamboo steamer with either napa cabbage leaves or iceberg lettuce leaves.


4. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Take 1 portion and roll into a long log. Then divide the log into 14 pieces.


5. Dust the work surface with flour, use a rolling pin and roll each piece into 3inches circle. For wrapping, the thinner the edges the easier it will be for pleating later.


6. Scoop 1 tbsp of filling onto the skin wrapper, and start to pleat. Continue until you're done with all the fillings. You can learn how to pleat from this video.


7. Place the dumplings onto the steamer and steam for around 10-12minutes.

The flavors are there but I still need to improve the quality of the skin......

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