Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)
Traditional Shanghai soup dumplings filled with tender pork and shrimp meatballs suspended in rich, savory broth that bursts with flavor when bitten.
Equipment
Ingredients
Broth
chicken backs (raw)
1361 g
Chinese ham (raw)
225 g
scallions (raw)
115 g
fresh ginger (raw)
15 g
white peppercorns (whole)
1 tbsp
water (cold)
2400 ml
kosher salt
2 tsp
Filling
ground pork (raw)
150 g
raw shrimp (peeled, raw)
115 g
soy sauce
10 ml
Shaoxing wine
15 ml
sugar (granulated)
8 g
kosher salt
1 tsp
Dough
all-purpose flour
255 g
boiling water (boiling)
235 ml
Cooking
napa cabbage leaves (fresh)
8 piece
Instructions
Prepare the broth
Combine chicken bones, ham, scallion whites, half of scallion greens, ginger, and white peppercorns in a stockpot and cover with cold water.
Strain and chill the broth
Strain the broth through cheesecloth, season with salt, and refrigerate until set into a semi-firm jelly, at least 8 hours.
Prepare the filling base
Combine pork, shrimp, soy sauce, wine, sugar, salt, and remaining scallion greens in a food processor. Process until a fine paste is formed.
Make the dumpling dough
Place flour in food processor. With machine running, slowly drizzle in boiling water until cohesive dough forms. Process for 30 seconds, then rest.
Combine filling with gelled broth
Transfer filling mixture to bowl with 1.5 cups jellied broth. Whisk until homogenous and season with salt. Keep well chilled.
Roll out the wrappers
Divide dough into 4 sections. Roll each into a 6-inch log, cut into 10 pieces (40 total). Roll each piece into a 10g ball, then flatten into 3.5-4 inch rounds with thinner edges.
Form the dumplings
Place 1 tablespoon filling in center of wrapper. Moisten edges, pleat repeatedly around circumference, pinching after each pleat. Pinch and twist top to seal completely.
Steam the dumplings
Line bamboo steamer with napa cabbage leaves. Place dumplings on leaves. Steam over simmering water for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
Storage
Store uncooked dumplings on parchment-lined tray in freezer, then transfer to freezer bag. Cooked dumplings are best eaten immediately.
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