Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings)

Although these are some work, you'll be very proud of the results. These are those lovely, translucent dumplings you get at dim sum places. The tapioca flour and wheat starch can usually be found at good oriental food stores. These are best made in a bamboo steamer. I've included a recipe for a dip but you can use your own favorite dumpling sauce if you wish. This is a Madame S.T. Ting Wong recipe. Prep time includes fridge time for the shrimp mixture.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 5 mins
• Yields: 24 dumplings

Ingredients

• Filling

• 1⁄2 lb shrimp, shelled,deveined and chopped into pieces
• 1  scallion, chopped fine (green onion)
• 4  whole water chestnuts, chopped fine
• 1  egg white
• 1  teaspoon cornstarch
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  pinch black pepper
• 1  tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1  tablespoon  oil

• Dough

• 1⁄4 cup tapioca flour
• 3⁄4 cup  wheat starch
• 10 1⁄2 tablespoons boiling water
• 1  tablespoon  oil

• Dip

• 3  tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1  tablespoon  sesame seed oil
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  chili oil

Directions

1. Mix filling ingredients together; stir in one direction, mixing thoroughly; refrigerate this mixture for 1 hour.
2. Combine dip ingredients and set aside.
3. Sift flour and starch together; gradually add boiling water; add oil and let dough cool.
4. Knead dough until smooth; divide dough in half and shape each half into a sausage; divide each sausage into twelve pieces (24 pieces total); when not working with the dough, keep it covered with a damp towel.
5. Oil a cleaver and your work surface lightly; press a piece of dough, with the oiled cleaver, into a flat round circle.
6. To shape each dumpling- Make 3 deep pleats in the top half of a dough circle to form a little crescent cap; fill with 1 teaspoon of the shrimp mixture; press dough edges together and place dumplings on a lightly oiled plate or an oiled piece of parchment paper over the holes on the first level of the steamer.
7. Bring water to boil in the bottom part of the steamer; place steamer section with dumplings over boiling water (if you have multiple'tiers' or sections of the steamer, you can cook them all at once).
8. Cover and steam 5 minutes.
9. Serve with dip.
10. These can be made ahead through the shaping of the dumplings, keeping them covered with a damp cloth or, you can shape the dumplings and freeze them before steaming, defrost before steaming.