photo by roboppy

I wish I could say my introduction to Xiao Long Bao was on the streets of Shanghai, but it was a regular Sunday morning dim sum.  Tucked away on a dumpling cart was something very different.  Xiao Long Bao are not your everyday dim sum dumpling.  They contain a little dollop of rich broth inside the dumpling.  They come freshly steamed (and hopefully freshly made) in small bamboo containers.  The process of steaming heats the soup broth up and readies the broth to burn the inside of your mouth, land on your shirt or be enjoyed as a little package of soup.  Your choice.

Xiao Long Bao, or Soup Dumplings, can't (or shouldn't) be eaten like the standard dim sum dumpling.  The dumplings are meant to be put on a soup spoon with any additional sauce.  Chopsticks are used to pierce the dumpling and let the broth flow out into the spoon.  Once every drop of the soup is enjoyed, its ok to finish off the whole dumpling.

There are some fantastic recipes out there for XLB, but they tend to have one thing in common - long preparation time.  Remember that the last step of the recipe for these little packages in the bundling, folding and sealing of the dumplings themselves.  That is going to take you some time and test your patience.  You really might want to consider whether you're up for the long cooking process followed by some precision dumpling assembly.

Typically the dumplings are made with chicken broth paired with a pork ball.  I modified the pork ball a bit and used bulk chorizo, in part because I can get it.  It made the dumplings considerably spicier than what rolls by on a cart.

The best way to make these (or at least my favorite) is to stand around the kitchen with guests or family bundling the dumplings and chatting while they are steaming.  They get perfectly fresh dumplings and you get good company.

Xiao Long Bao

Soup:

2 cups of chicken stock

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp Chinese rice wine

2 Tbsp unflavored gelatin

Directions

1. Bring the stock to a boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.


2. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients until the gelatin is dissolved.


3. Pour into a glass dish that fills to about 1/2 deep.  Chill in the refrigerator until solid.

Dumplings:

1 container of dumpling skins.  I get these in the frozen section of my local Chinese market.

1. Cut the broth into small cubes with a knife.


2. Lay 2 skins out on a board.  Wet the edges of both with your finger.  (I think its easier to do 2 at a time)


3. Put one spoonful of filling (below) and a few cubes of broth in each dumpling.  You'll get better at how much to put in as you make them.  Don't worry if your first couple are practice.


4. Pleat the skin to form a sort of bowl.  Join the edges together to form the dumpling.


5. Place the dumplings on cabbage leaves or cotton in a bamboo steamer.  Don't let them touch.


6. Steam for 10-12 minutes.

Meat Filling:

1 lb ground pork or bulk chorizo

2 green onions, diced

1 in ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp Chinese rice wine

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp sugar

Directions

1. Mix the pork with the vegetables well.


2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Vegetable Filling:

2 in ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb fresh asparagus

1 can whole water chestnuts, diced

4 green onions, diced

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp Chinese rice wine

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp sugar

Directions

1. Very finely dice the vegetables and add to a bowl.  Don't worry about using all of the asparagus stalks.


2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

photo by Tracy Hunter

Dim sum started out as modest tea house snacks.  That is really not the way Americans partake, but that shouldn't surprise anyone.  Dim sum has become something else entirely - an active weekend brunch where you try to convince the waiters to bring just one more order of Xiao Long Bao or Salt & Pepper Shrimp while carts of buns and dumplings whizz by.  Seating is tight, the wait staff is busy and after a while anyone would be convinced they are hoarding the soup dumplings for their best customers.

I decided to try Dim sum as a breakfast, since I intended to do breakfasts for the month of September.  Sometimes I already know how to make something, its just a matter of getting it down.  This was not one of those times.  It never occurred to me that Dim Sum was something to try at home, and there is probably good reason...

Honestly, the real deal, the fancy little dumplings in nearly translucent wrappers are more than a little intimidating.  I know how they are made, but I am not ready to dive off the cliff of perfection required to get them right.  This is a good first step, but doesn't hold a candle to the delicate little dumplings that really made dim sum such a fantastic experience.

Unless I am thrust into a Dim Sum kitchen or asked to participate in a Dim Sum pot luck, I doubt I will ever make these again.  Sure, there is justice and satisfaction in abusing a staple of the southern kitchen (white bread), but these little buns land on my table with about the same impact as fried empanadas.  That said, here they are.  I obviously need to make those beautiful little dumplings now.

Chicken Curry Bun - Dim Sum

1/2 a large sweet potato, diced

5 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion, diced

14oz can fire roasted tomatoes

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 in grated ginger

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup water or chicken broth

1 Tbsp white wine or sherry

2 lbs chicken breast, cut into pea sized pieces

1 Tbsp corn starch blended with 1 Tbsp water

Loaf of soft white sandwich bread

1 egg

Oil for frying

Spice Mix:

2 Tbsp curry powder

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp white pepper

Filling

1. Dice the potatoes, boil for 25 minutes, strain and set aside.


2. At the same time, cook the onion in the oil until translucent.


3. Add the tomatoes, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, water, wine and spices.  Cover and cook for 12 minutes.


4. Add the chicken, stir and cook for 12 minutes.


5. Uncover, add the potatoes and corn starch blend.  Cook for 1 minute and remove from heat.

The buns

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, but do not let it smoke (not over 400 degrees)


2. Trim the crusts off the bread.  Separate the yolk from the egg and beat with a little water.


3. Roll the bread out flat with a rolling pin until they are very flat.


4. Put some filling  in each piece.  Brush the edge of the bread with the egg wash and fold the bread over on itself to form a bun.  Trim the bun back with a knife (I use an empanada cutter)


5. Fry each bun in the oil.  It only takes about 1 minute each side.  Drain on paper towels.