Name: Xiaolongbao (Soup Dumplings)
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Shanghainese
Ingredients: 500 g pork skin (for the aspic); 1 l water (for the aspic); 3 slices ginger (for the aspic); 2 stalks spring onion (for the aspic); 400 g ground pork; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tbsp ginger (minced, for filling); 250 g plain flour; 120 ml cold water (for the dough); 30 ml black vinegar (for dipping); 10 g ginger (julienned, for dipping)

Method

Make the pork skin aspic

Simmer the pork skin with the water, ginger and spring onion for ninety minutes until the liquid reduces and turns gelatinous, then strain and discard the solids.

90 min

Chill the aspic

Pour the strained liquid into a shallow dish and refrigerate for two hours until firmly set into a jelly.

120 min

Mix the filling

Dice the set aspic into small cubes, then mix it with the ground pork, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar and minced ginger until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to wrap.

Keeping the filling cold stops the aspic melting before the dumplings hit the steamer.

Make the dough

Mix the flour with the cold water and knead for five minutes into a smooth, firm dough, then cover and rest for thirty minutes.

30 min

Roll and wrap

Divide the dough into small pieces, roll each into a thin round wrapper, spoon in a portion of filling, and pleat the edges upward into at least sixteen folds, twisting to seal at the top.

Work quickly and keep unused filling chilled so the aspic doesn't start to soften.

Steam the dumplings

Line a steamer basket with parchment or cabbage leaves, arrange the dumplings with space between them, and steam over high heat for eight minutes until the wrappers turn glossy.

8 min

Serve

Serve immediately with the julienned ginger and black vinegar for dipping, lifting each dumpling by the twisted top so it doesn't tear.

Xiaolongbao (Soup Dumplings)

Ingredients

Method

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