虾饺

Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Roughly chop two-thirds of the shrimp into small pieces, then finely mince the remaining third to create a mixture that holds together while maintaining texture.

Combine the chopped shrimp with the diced bamboo shoots, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl. Mix vigorously in one direction for two minutes until the filling becomes sticky and cohesive.

Cover the filling and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes to firm up. This chilling step makes the filling much easier to handle and helps the dumplings hold their shape during pleating.

Sift the wheat starch and tapioca starch together into a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over the starches while stirring rapidly with chopsticks, then add the vegetable oil and knead into a smooth, pliable dough.

Divide the dough into twenty pieces and roll each into a small ball. Using a lightly oiled cleaver blade or tortilla press, flatten each ball into a thin translucent circle about eight centimetres in diameter.

Place one tablespoon of the chilled shrimp filling in the centre of each wrapper. Fold the dough over and create seven to ten small pleats along the curved edge, pressing firmly to seal without trapping air inside.

Line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper or napa cabbage leaves. Arrange the dumplings with space between them, then steam over rapidly boiling water for eight to nine minutes until the wrappers turn fully translucent.

Serve the har gow immediately in the steamer basket with small dishes of soy sauce and chili oil on the side. The dumplings are best eaten within minutes of steaming while the wrappers are still tender.