Steamed Shrimp Dumplings – Har Gow

For the filling:
Mix the chopped green onions and minced ginger with the water for 20 minutes. Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the green onion and ginger, reserving the liquid.

Thaw the frozen shrimp then peel and devein the shrimp. Rinse under cold running water. Press down to crush shrimp with a cleaver and cut into 3 small pieces). Combine the chopped shrimp, minced pork fat, reserved liquid extracted from green onion and ginger, and remaining filling ingredients). Stir with a pair of chopsticks in one direction for 2 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky. Set aside.

For the wrapper dough:
Measure out wheat starch and 1 1/2 tablespoons tapioca starch in a medium bowl. Stir in boiling hot water until it is well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand for 5 minutes. Add the remaining tapioca starch and knead to combine. Finally, add lard and knead until the dough is smooth.

To prepare the dumplings:
Rub a small amount of oil on the dough and divide into 3 equal portions.Cover the rest with a damp cloth while working on one portion. On an oiled working surface, shape the dough into a log about 1 inch in diameter. Cut into 5 equal portions. Roll each one into a ball in your palms. Press down with a cleaver or pastry scraper into an 11-cm disc. If it is too hard to flatten, roll it out with a rolling pin.

Place 2 teaspoons filling in the center of the wrapper. Starting from the right side, fold slightly the back to form 11-12 pleats. Press the front against the back to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. (See the related blog post for a link to video instructions on folding the dough.)

Place dumplings on parchment paper squares on a steamer rack and brush the dumplings with garlic oil. Fill the steamer with 3 cups of cold water. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Place the steamer rack in the steamer and steam for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place steamed shrimp dumplings on a serving plate. Yummy!

Notes:
1. Make sure to use the boiling hot water to make the dough. If in doubt, heat the warm water in the microwave oven to make sure the temperature of the water reaches the boiling point.
2. Cover the unused dough with a damp cloth to avoid cracking.
3. To make the garlic oil, mix 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic with 1 1/2 tablespoons corn oil. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 30 seconds.