Har Gow

by Katie Chin, Tastemaker in Residence

I’ve been jonesing for Shrimp Har Gow (otherwise known as crystal shrimp dumplings) lately.  If you’ve ever been to dim sum then you know about these delicate flavor bombs encased in a translucent dough made with wheat starch and tapioca starch (which you can find on-line and at Asian markets).  Shrimp Har Gow takes a little more time to make and pleat than your average dumpling but once you get the hang of it you’ll be a Har Gow making machine in no time.

 Start with the filling that’s made with chopped up shrimp, ginger, bamboo shoots, sesame oil, and other yummy ingredients.  

After you’ve completed making the dough which only takes about 15 minutes, you roll it into long cylinders which are cut into 1-inch pieces, rolled into balls and then rolled flat into very thin 3-inch rounds.  Make sure you use boiling water when making the dough!

Next, you place about 1 Tbsp of filling into the center of the dough round and gather the edges around to make individual pleats.   I know it seems intimidating but practice makes perfect and I always say no matter how your dumplings look they’re still going to taste delicious!!  You can always start your Har Gow journey by making a half-moon shape and then use a fork to make crimps similar to an empanada.  You can work up to pleats the next time around!

Ingredients

Filling

1 lb of peeled and deveined shrimp

1 Tbsp finely chopped canned bamboo shoots

1 Tbsp finely chopped green onion (white part only)

2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger

3 tsp light soy sauce

2 Tbsp of Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

2 tsp sugar

½ tsp of salt

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

4 tsp corn starch

Dash of white pepper

Dough

1 1/4 cup wheat starch (not flour)

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup boiling water?

1 tsp canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Make the filling:

2. Finely mince the shrimp and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

3. Make the Dough:

4. In a medium bowl, combine the wheat starch, tapioca starch, and salt. Pour in the boiling water and add the oil while mixing in one direction with a wooden spoon or dowel. Dust a counter with wheat starch and turn the dough out. While it’s hot, knead the dough for 6 minutes or until smooth but firm. Add more wheat starch if it feels sticky.

5. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll each section into an 8-inch-long cylinder. Place dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, which will prevent it from drying out.

6. When ready to roll, cut the dough snakes into eight 1-inch sections. Place a piece of dough between two small pieces of parchment and flatten with the backside of a heavy clever or underside of a pan. Then, using a dumpling dowel or rolling pin, start to roll from the center out, until you’re left with a circle that’s 3 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Place the finished wrappers back in a bowl and cover until you finish rolling out the remaining dough.

7. Start by taking about 1 Tablespoon of filling and place it in the middle.

8. Pleat the front side of the dumpling. Bring the backside forward and seal it with the front. Use water to seal your dumpling if necessary.

9. Steam Har Gow for 6-7 minutes. Serve immediately with soy sauce.