This recipe is taken from the DIM SUM book out now in Waterstones and online with Amazon. Also pick up a copy at Sweet Mandarin. We are having a book signing party at Sweet Mandarin on 22nd February 2015 5pm – 7pm to celebrate Chinese New Year. You are all welcome – to book your free tickets email lisa@sweetmandarin.com .Support us and buy a copy today!
My grandmother, Lily, loved to join her father on his trips to restaurants where he sold his soy sauce in the 1920s. Our great grandfather had made a cart to transport his soy sauce barrels; it was heavy yet functional and pulled by him and Lily, who ran alongside her father tantalised by the blur of lights, shapes, people and noise. When they finally arrived at the target location, she was often treated to free siu mai, which she gladly accepted and called ‘a little piece of Heaven’ as the meat, Chinese mushrooms and delicate pastry were so delicious.
We still enjoy siu mai today and it is one of the favourites of the dim sum world. Dim Sum means ‘from the heart’. There are 2000 varieties, which include steamed dim sum like siu mai which is also an open top dumpling. For the ultimate luxury, use crab roe to garnish, but if you are just making these for a weeknight dinner then you can use carrot. I love siu mai and this is my own personal recipe adapted from the Hong Kong chef who trained me.
Gluten Free Replace the wrappers with beancurd wrappers.
Dairy Free
Makes approximately 12
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes
200g minced pork
100g raw king prawns, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon potato starch
1 drop of sesame oil
2 tablespoons water
10 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water and diced into fine bits
1 teaspoon dried orange peel, finely grated
pinch of pepper
12 wonton skins, corners trimmed so they are round skins
Put the minced pork and chopped king prawns in a bowl. Using a spoon, mash the ingredients together so they blend. Don’t use a blender for this as you still want the meats to retain some texture. Add the salt, sugar, pepper, potato starch, sesame oil and water and continue to lightly mash the ingredients together. Finally add the chopped Chinese mushrooms and orange peel. The mixture is ready when it is all combined and sticks to the spoon – a bit like making hamburger patties.
Take one trimmed wonton skin and place it onto a cupped hand. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the filling into the wonton skin. Move the dumping between the thumb and index finger and continue scooping more filling until it appears full. Begin to turn the dumpling using your thumb and index finger so it moulds it into the siu mai shape (little upright oblong). Repeat with remaining skins.
Place on a plate which is greased with some oil and steam for 15 minutes.
How to Steam
Use an electric steamer and steam for 15 minutes or you can use a wok. Place a cake rack in the centre and fill with sufficient water just under the cake rack level. Turn the heat to high and when the water is boiling, place the plate of siu mai on the cake rack. Cover with a lid and steam for 15 minutes.
To book a table at Sweet Mandarin email sweetmandarintables@gmail.com . Our opening times are Tuesday – Sunday 5-10pm.
Sweet Mandarin is a Chinese Restaurant in Manchester which serves delicious Chinese cuisine and exotic cocktails. We make our own sweet chilli sauce, bbq sauce, sweet & sour sauce which you can buy from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Ocado, Booths, Wing Yip and Chi Yip. Sweet Mandarin Chinese Restaurant and Cookery Schoolcan cater for the gluten free, dairy free diners. We are a short 15 minute walk from the Manchester Arena. We are not based in Chinatown, but based in the trendy Northern Quarter near the Arndale Centre, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Debenhams and Primark. The nearest hotels to us are the Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Express, Premier Apartments, Blue Rainbow Aparthotels, Light Hotel and Hatters Hostel.