Har Gao - Shrimp Crystal Dumplings

Another dumpling post :). Well, I adore dumplings, so I am quite sure that there would still be a long list of dumpling posts coming in the future and that my journey of trial and error in dumpling making is still very long...;-). This time my post is about Har Gao - one of the most wanted dumpling dishes in Dim Sum restaurants. But, this is of course not the reason why I made har gow. I made har gow because it's one of my most favourite types of dumpling. I especially like it's translucent, slightly chewy skin. When I was young I loved to look at and observe my shrimp dumplings before I ate them. I loved to see their crystal clear, transparent exterior hiding some pink succulent jewels inside them. To be true, I still do. After one eager bite, I would even still study what's inside the small, little, glassy pocket - I notice some big chunks of juicy prawns, very thin slices of bamboo shoots and a modest amount of finely chopped pork lard.

I made these har gows several weeks ago. It was not that hard to make, but making sure that the skin was thin enough and that it didn't break when I tried to pleat it was kind of tricky.

The har gow did not turn out as good as I wanted. The shape of the dumplings didn't really look like the ones you see in Dim Sum restaurants. I think that they're not fat enough, and the skin was not as translucent as it should be. However, they're certainly not ugly. So, fair enough, I guess it's at least a good try...

Recipe adapted from Dim Sum Made Easy
Ingredients

Skin

• 1 1/2 cup wheat starch
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 1 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 tbs oil

Filling

• 500 gr prawns, chopped coarsely (not too fine)
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbs ground pork fat
• 2 tbs chopped spring onions (white part only)
• 3 tbs thinly slices bamboo shoots
• 1 tbs light soy sauce
• 1 tbs oyster sauce
  
• 1 tbs Shao Xing wine
• 1 tsp tapioca starch
• A dash of white pepper
  

Make sure that you refrigerate the filling mixture for at least an hour before you start making the dumplings. If you don't do so the filling might be a bit too watery and thus might cause the dumpling skin to tear.

Enjoy your har gow with chilli sauce of your choice.