Okay, here we go! My attempt at sharing my Guangdong Dim Sum adventure, blog-style.
Alright folks, buckle up! Today I’m diving headfirst into my dim sum making journey. Been craving those tasty little morsels for ages, so I finally decided to stop dreaming and start cooking. Get ready for some epic fails and (hopefully) delicious triumphs!
First things first, the prep. I spent a solid afternoon hitting up the Asian market. Scored all the essentials: shrimp, pork, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts… you name it. My fridge looked like a dim sum explosion happened inside.
Then came the recipe hunt. Let me tell you, there are a MILLION dim sum recipes out there. I ended up Frankensteining together a few different ones, mostly relying on YouTube tutorials ’cause I’m a visual learner.
Getting Started: Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow)
Har Gow was the first thing I tackled. Seemed simple enough, right? WRONG. That translucent wrapper? A nightmare! I mixed the tapioca starch and wheat starch like the recipe said, poured in the boiling water… and ended up with a sticky, gummy mess. Round one: Epic fail. I persevered, added more starch, kneaded like my life depended on it, and finally got something resembling dough. Rolling them out? Another challenge. They stuck to everything! More starch to the rescue. The filling was actually pretty easy – chopped shrimp, bamboo shoots, some seasonings. Folding them? Let’s just say my dumplings looked less like elegant crescents and more like abstract art.
Steaming them was the easiest part, thankfully. After about 8 minutes, they were… well, they were edible. The wrapper was a bit too thick, and some of them stuck to the steamer basket (should have oiled it better!), but the filling tasted AMAZING. I’d call it a qualified success.
Next Up: Pork Siu Mai
Okay, Siu Mai had to be easier, right? At least the wrapper was just a regular wonton wrapper! For the filling, I ground pork, shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, all that good stuff. Mixed it all together until it was a cohesive ball of deliciousness. Forming the Siu Mai was actually kinda fun. Just plopped a ball of filling onto the wonton wrapper, gently squeezed it into a cup shape. Steaming them was a breeze, and these turned out GREAT! Seriously, the flavor was spot-on. I was actually proud of myself.
Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Buns) – The Ultimate Test
Alright, this was the big one. Char Siu Bao. I knew this would be a challenge because of the dough. Made the dough the night before, kneading it for a good 10 minutes. Let it rise overnight. The next day, I made the char siu filling – used some leftover roasted pork, chopped it up, mixed it with a sweet and savory sauce. This was my favorite part; the smell was incredible.
Forming the buns took a while, but I think I finally got the hang of it. These were then proofed for another 30 minutes before steaming them.
The bao came out looking a little deflated but they were still delicious. Next time, I need to work on the dough a bit more.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with different fillings!
- Practice makes perfect (or at least, makes things less disastrous).
- And most importantly, have fun!
I’ll definitely be making dim sum again soon. Maybe I’ll even try making my own wonton wrappers next time… maybe. Wish me luck!
