Japanese Shumai
Japanese-style shumai steamed dumplings with a ground pork, onion and shiitake filling, topped with a green pea. Shumai is originally a Chinese dim sum dish; this is the Japanese version by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. If you can't find shumai wrappers, wonton wrappers work. Makes about 35.
Ingredients
| 1 lb | 455 g | ground pork |
| 1/2 | onion | |
| 1 inch | ginger (about 1/2 Tbsp) | |
| 3 | green onions/scallions | |
| 2 | shiitake mushrooms | |
| 1 package | shumai wrappers (or wonton wrappers) | |
| — | green peas (for topping) | |
| 2 Tbsp | 30 ml | sake |
| 1/2 Tbsp | 7.5 ml | roasted sesame oil |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | soy sauce |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | kosher/sea salt |
| — | freshly ground black pepper | |
| — | soy sauce (dipping sauce) | |
| — | rice vinegar (dipping sauce) | |
| — | la-yu Japanese chili oil (optional) |
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. 2. Mince the onion, shiitake mushrooms and green onions, and grate the ginger (keep the juice). 3. In a large bowl combine the pork, seasonings (sake, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper) and the ginger with its juice, and mix. 4. Add the onion, shiitake and green onions and mix well with your hands until sticky. 5. Cup one hand as if holding a tube and lay a shumai wrapper on top. Scoop about 1 tsp of filling onto the center, push it down into the cup, shape with your hands and press a green pea on top. 6. Set the finished shumai on parchment paper (or cabbage leaves) inside a bamboo steamer. 7. As you finish wrapping, bring water to a boil in a wok, making sure the water won't touch the steamer. 8. Place the steamer in the wok, wrapping the lid with a thin towel so condensation won't drip onto the shumai, and steam for 8 minutes. 9. Serve hot with a dipping sauce of soy sauce and rice vinegar (add la-yu if you like).