Yokohama Style Shumai Dumpling Food

YOKOHAMA STYLE SHUMAI DUMPLING

Steps:

• If using dry shitake mushrooms, soak in warm water until soft. Remove the stem and finely mince. If using fresh shitake mushrooms, remove the stem and finely mince.
• You can also use food processor to mince raw shrimp and scallops by pulsing several times. It should not be paste like, but have some texture.
• Thoroughly combine all ingredients except gyoza, pot sticker or wonton wrappers and green peas.
• Place about 1 1/2 tsp to 2 tsp filling on each gyoza or wonton wrapper and form into shumai dumplings by using both index and thumb - both hands. I generally place the wrapper on table and put the filling in the middle and using both hands, form into small round dumplings - top exposed. Shumai should be taller than wider. Please see photos.
• Place one green pea on top of each shumai.
• Keep formed shumai and gyoza or wonton wrappers covered in damp towel to prevent drying out. Continue until all wrappers are used.
• Heat a steamer and oil the steamer rack. Place shumai without touching each other. Cover the steamer and steam medium high for about 15 minutes. Remove and continue steaming other shumai dumplings.
• Serve shumai with Japanese or Chinese style hot yellow mustard and soy sauce.
• At this point you can also freeze them.
• If you can have leftover filling, form into bento sized hamburgers (about 1 1/2 inch size) and saute in little oil until done, turning once.

CLOOTIE DUMPLING

Steps:

• one large square of cotton or linen cloth is needed as a pudding cloth.
• Mix all the ingredients together with enough milk to make a “not too wet mixture”.
• Drop linen cloth in boiling water, using tongs remove and wring out excess moisture.
• Sprinkle the cloth with flour.
• Put the dumpling mixture into the centre of the cloth and tie securely with twine.
• Don’t leave too much room in the cloth or the dumpling will split.
• Place the dumpling into a large saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 3 hours.
• Make sure the water level is topped up with more hot water to about half way up the side.
• The dumpling should be covered with water.
• It is a good idea to use a heat-proof plate in the bottom of the pot to keep the dumpling off the pot base.
• When ready, put dumpling on a wooden breadboard and carefully remove cloth.
• Put plate on top and turn over.
• Put in a warm oven for 10 minutes.
• Turn dumpling onto a clean plate and put into oven for a further 10 minutes.
• Note: Double the amount requires four hours' boiling.