Category: Appetizers

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Steamed Chinese Dumplings (Shu Mai)

Steamed Chinese Dumplings (Shu Mai) with Spicy Sweet Chili Sauce

While on our recent cruise we attended a cooking demonstration by America’s Test Kitchen. One of the dishes the chef prepared that day was Steamed Chinese Dumplings (Shu Mai). It looked easy enough, so we came home and purchased a bamboo steamer and all the ingredients to make these tasty little dumplings.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1⁄2 pound shrimp, peeled, tails removed and halved lengthwise (see note)
    • Use any size shrimp except popcorn shrimp; there’s no need to halve shrimp smaller than 26 to 30 per pound
  • 1⁄4 cup water chestnuts, chopped
  • 4 dried shiitake mushroom caps (about 3⁄4 ounce), soaked in hot water 30 minutes, squeezed dry, and cut into 1⁄4-inch dice
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice cooking wine (Shaoxing) or dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons grated ginger
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 (1 pound) package 5 1⁄2 inch square egg roll wrappers (see note)
    • You can substitute square or round wonton skins for the egg roll wrappers.
  • 1⁄4 cup carrot, finely grated (optional)

Preparation:

  • Combine soy sauce and gelatin in small bowl. Set aside to allow gelatin to bloom, about 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, place shrimp and pulse until coarsely chopped into approximate 1⁄4-inch pieces, about five 1-second pulses. Transfer shrimp to bowl with ground pork
  • Stir in soy sauce mixture, water chestnuts, mushrooms, cornstarch, cilantro, sesame oil, wine, vinegar, sugar, ginger, salt, and pepper.
  • Divide egg roll wrappers into 3 stacks (6 to 7 per stack). Using 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut two 3-inch rounds from each stack of egg roll wrappers (you should have 40 to 42 rounds). Cover rounds with moist paper towels to prevent drying.
  • Working with 6 rounds at a time, brush edges of each round lightly with water. Place tablespoon of filling into center of each round.
  • Form dumplings by pinching opposing sides of wrapper with your fingers until you have 8 equidistant pinches. Gather up sides of dumpling and squeeze gently to create “waist”; use butter knife to firmly pack filling.
  • Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with damp kitchen towel, and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
  • Top center of each dumpling with pinch of grated carrot, if using.
  • Poke about 20 small holes in parchment round slightly smaller than diameter of steamer basket. (You can buy round parchment with venting holes.)
  • Place in basket and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray. Place batches of dumplings on parchment liner, making sure they are not touching.
  • Set steamer over simmering water and cook, covered, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Serve immediately with Spicy Sweet Chili Sauce.
Steamed Chinese Dumplings (Shu Mai) with Spicy Sweet Chili Sauce

Makes about 40 dumplings, 6 to 8 appetizer servings. The dumplings may be frozen for up to 3 months; cook them straight from the freezer for an extra 5 minutes. Serve shu mai with Spicy Sweet Chili Sauce, recipe also posted on www.dishtoremember.com.

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Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs with Marinara Sauce and Fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano

Italian Meatballs! Serve these up as a main dish, meatball sub-sandwich or as an appetizer. They are easy to make ahead, store, heat up and serve. They go well simply served with a little Marinara Sauce and fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shown above. See my previous posting for a simple Marinara Sauce recipe as well.

Italian Meatballs Hot Out of the Oven!

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup of plain bread crumbs
  • 1 medium/large white onion, grated and save the onion juice (1/2 cup)
  • 1 pound ground beef (85%/15% lean minimum)
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 bunch fresh parsley
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 2 Tbsps. fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Soak bread crumbs in reserved onion juice for 10-15 minutes, add a little milk if you don’t get enough juice from grated onion.
  2. Mix ground beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir in grated onion, soaked bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour as this helps to firm the mixture and makes it easier to form the meatballs.
  4. Preheat oven to 425°.
  5. Spray a large baking sheet with light cooking oil. Use a baking rack if you have one. This helps the hot air circulate around the meatballs, maintain round shape and allows any grease/oil to drip away from the meatballs.
  6. To form the meatballs, use a 1-1/2 Tbsp. scoop, gathering from the meatball mixture and then finish by rolling into a ball by hand. The meatball should be about the size of a golf ball. You can use smaller or larger amounts depending on how you plan on serving the meatballs.
  7. Place on baking rack/pan and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until thoroughly cooked and browned. Don’t over cook them as you may end up reheating them later where they will continue to cook.

Notes:

  1. I use the grated onion, it makes for a more consistent texture to the meatballs and is easier than trying to get a petite dice. It also produces the onion juice to soak the bread crumbs.
  2. I use the onion juice as an added boost to the flavors of the meatballs, you could substitute milk if you wish.
  3. I use a mixer to combine all the ingredients which incorporates all of them consistently, but you can use a wooden spoon and they’ll be fine.
Italian Meatballs Hot Out of the Oven!