Siu Mai (Shumai - Chinese Steamed Dumplings)

Step 1

Place pork, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar with the pork meat/mince in a large mixing bowl. Mix vigorously with a spoon or use your hands until it becomes pasty (initially it will be crumbly) - about 30 seconds.

Step 2

Add mushrooms, prawns and green onions, mix until just dispersed (don't crush the prawn meat).

Step 3

Form an "O" with your forefinger and thumb.

Step 4

Place a wonton wrapper over the "O". Push in 1 heaped teaspoon of Filling and push down into the "O" hole.

Step 5

Use a butter knife to smear more Filling into until level with edge of wonton.

Step 6

Place on work surface and push down to flatten base and use fingers to shape into a round.

Step 7

Line a 30cm/12" bamboo steamer (or stove steamer) with baking paper with holes in it (Note 9)

Step 8

Fill a wok big enough to hold steamer with about 2 cups of water (Note 10). Bring to rapid simmer over medium high heat.

Step 9

Place Siu Mai in steamer (20 - 25 fits). Place lid on, place on wok over simmering water.

Step 10

Steam 8 minutes, or until internal temperature of dumplings is 75°C/165°F. (If yours are bigger due to larger wonton wrappers are bigger, they will take longer).

Step 11

Remove steamer from wok. Remove lid and place a tiny bit of roe in the middle of each dumpling.

Step 12

Serve immediate with dipping sauce!

Step 13

Provide soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar or normal white vinegar, Chinese chilli paste (or Sriracha or other chilli). Let people mix their own to their taste (I do: 3 parts soy, 1 part vinegar, as much chilli as I think I can handle).