Southern China Recipe: Dim Sum – Xiang Sheng Bai Tu Jiao

Makes 20 portions (you’ll need at least that many if you have friends!)

Stuffing Ingredients

• 350g raw peeled shrimp, chopped
• 100g fatty pork, minced
• 150g bamboo shoots finely chopped
• pinch of salt
• 10g chicken stock powder (optional)
• 12g sugar
• 15g sweet potato flour or green bean flour (from your chinese supermarket)
• white pepper to taste
• 40g cooking oil or pork dripping
• 15g sesame oil.

Method – Stuffing

Blend into a slightly chunky paste and chill.

Pastry Ingredients

• 500g white plain wheat flour
• 500g green bean flour
• 1,100g boiling water

Method – Pastry

1. Slowly add boiling water to salted wheat flour mixing steadily.

2. Blend in green bean flour (not before water is blended into wheat flour or the pastry will be like concrete!)

3. Mix to a translucent dough.

4. Chill for at least one hour.

Method – Main Dish

1. Have boiling water prepared in a steamer.

2. Take a piece of dough a little smaller than a ping pong ball. On a flat surface and using a circular motion with the side of a cleaver, flatten the ball until it forms a very thin disc of about 3 or 4 inches diameter.

3. Place a small ball of the stuffing in the centre of the disc. Gather the edges and crimp to form a small bag shape.

4. Draw out the join to make a long point and slice the point down the centre to create 2 ears.

5. Fold the ears back to lie along the back of the bag (dumpling). Take 2 tiny pieces of carrot or 2 toasted sesame seeds for eyes.

6. Repeat the process until you go blue and place the rabbits on a layer of perforated greaseproof paper in the steamer.

Cover and steam for 10 minutes.