Go to the Recipe: Shanghai Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)
There’s an option to change all the measurements to grams at the top of the recipe
I used my stand mixer and worked perfectly but I had to knead by hand for 3 minutes instead of 2 after it came together
When I do it, I actually don't use a gelatin packet (or chicken stock for that matter), but use a pig foot. I feel it's the correct thing to use as it makes a pretty strong cold gel that melts into an unctuous broth when heated.
Those are beautiful!
I feel like a food processor develops gluten much faster due to its sheer violence. You could certainly do this in a stand mixer, but it'll take a little longer.
This actually does work, but the texture is different. Store bought wonton wrappers are quite chewy and not as tender as what you create in this recipe. However, in a pinch, I see no problem with using wonton wrappers. I just think that at some point, you should try this recipe.
I've never done that, but I'll bet it'll work. The only possible negative is the meat mixture is somewhat wet so it's going to soak into the wrapper.
I don't agree with the part about how to eat the dumpling. By drinking the soup first, you miss out on the gestalt of the whole dish which is the combination of chewy exterior, meaty interior, and savory soup all at once! The best method is to allow it to cool enough to where you can put the whole thing in your mouth and eat it. The magic of the dish is the soup inside the dumpling which creates sort of a savory meaty "gusher".
We've been making these soup dumplings for a few years now and they are absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Hi everyone I'm chef Sachin from India
Food channel on youTube S culinary
Can I make these the night before and steam them in the morning?
Either I'm am just a phenominaly talented natural cook, or that was the best set of instructions EVER. I did what she said (down to actually measuring the log and cutting the little balls) and they were nearly perfect! Danged if it didnt make 18 folds everytime (without even trying!!) These were delicious, this recipe works! (Also I'm pretty sure its much more the latter of those first two choices)
@BostonBestEats yes, really, really, really.
Husband and I made these tonight (after utterly failing the week before following a more traditional recipe).
These turned out fantastic. I was surprised and happy with the result (he was too). I am looking forward to making them again, and maybe getting my folding technique down (.... gosh, who knew these could have such a learning curve to fold...). So at least one, maybe three or four more tries, in getting my folding technique down, and then I think we are golden for this to be a staple recipe in our home.
Thank you so much!
Can i just use wonton wrapper and steaming them?
These came out fantastic! Wonderful recipe. I made few small adjustments, such as ground turkey and turkey bacon, because I don’t eat pork, and made my dipping sauce differently, but otherwise followed the recipe closely and was beyond happy with the result. Thank you!
So you weigh out a cup of water? really? Really?? REALLY???
The recipe in Bon Appetit a few years ago had one just place a few of the cut soup cubes directly into the dumpling next to the filling. When I made it with store-bought wrappers, I guess my folding technique wasn't very good and all the soup leaked out!
Why use food processor???
Why not stand mixer??
Does food processor make a difference?
Guys, you should definitely try to prepare Georgian dish called Khinkali.
https://georgianrecipes.net/2013/03/29/khinkali/
Quick note, if you are going to use cabbage, make sure you have slits/holes to let the steam in.
since you are mixing the gelatin cut up into the meat filling it may be as simple as chance. you may have gotten a spoonful of filling when you missed grabbing some of the cut up gelatin. you can mix half the gelatin into the meat mixture and keep the other half back in a c\glass or metal bowl with ice under it to keep it gelled. that way, you can spoon in your meat filling, then tale a half teaspoon of just the gel (or whatever would be the appropriate amount) and put that but on top of the meat before closing the dumpling. that will ensure there is at least SOME of the gelatin in each bite.
Sometimes there's no soup in the dumplings I made, the proportions are right. Is it because I'm steaming them for too long and they evaporate? Or is it because I didn't seal the top tightly?
Yum!
Anybody have all the measurements in grams?
Hi Jessica. Sorry I didn't read this before now. My friend got the steamer while she was visiting family in China. I have seen the same ones in the Asian Supermarkets here in New Zealand; it would be worth looking in your local joint. Good Luck!
That would probably jostle them too much, and I would never risk losing any of the soup. If you don't have a steamer, try rigging up a strainer/sifter in a pot and just do less at a time.
Could the dumplings also be boiled?
Wifey loved them and she's a tough customer when it comes to Chinese cuisine. Bit of a snob when it comes to that actually. Doesn't apply to most other cuisine e.g., her favorite pizza is Pizza Hut. The recipe which makes 24 dumplings is just enough for two people so keep that in mind. Very thorough presentation and excellent results. Thank you!
Hi Micah, wondering where I can purchase that steamer insert, any help would be appreciated! Dumplings look great!
Difficult to pleat, but unbelievably delicious
Why? I cannot think of a single way that weight/mass measurements are not superior to volumetric measurements.
Video is absolutely spellbinding. Finally answers the mystery of how the soup stays locked in beneath the skin. For an extra twist, like how we have it at some xiao long bao chains here in HK and SG, you can play with the skin and the meat! Black truffle and crab is very popular here, along with oddballs like cheese and ginseng...
wish all the measurements were in t. T...cups...not grams
My pleating skills are definitely lacking, but these were fantastic! I used cabbage leaves brushed with canola oil to line the steamer and had no issues with sticking. Can't wait to make them again!
Using powered gelatin is just a powered form of what you made by boiling the bones. I used the Agar-Agar . Agar has been used in Japanese, Burmese, Vietnamese and Philippine foods for ages. Russians even used it. It is much easier to work with after it sets than gelatin as well. Even the home made aspic.
I was surprised at how easily everything came together.The folding took a little getting used to but I really enjoyed making these and my family enjoyed eating them even more.
We all take steps to save time, and using prepared gelatin is just one of those. Perhaps you should grind your own flour as well? Ferment your own vinegar? Raise your own pork? If this recipe had required a pressure cooker, pigs ears and feet, etc., it would probably strike a whole lot of people as too daunting. I trust ChefSteps to look for "bang for the buck".
YES!
Worth a thousand words?
geletin is more predicable and probably has a higher melting point than home made jellifed stock and is probably reasonable if this is the first time you are attempting this recipe.
Last time I made these, I used reduced home made guinea fowl stock which could easily be cut into cubes and produced the nicest dumpings i've tasted.
I make the chicken broth with the addition of pig's feet in a pressure cooker, instead of gelatin.
Brilliant recipe!!, i understand its from a US cookbook but could you put quantities in ml rather than cups for us metric users?
Look for perforated parchment steamer liners , or bamboo basket liners ... Amazon , restaurant supply , Chinatown, etc .( Quite the picture ...chefs with hole punches for Dim Sum service .. LOL )
I'm with you, Vergil. The addition of powdered gelatin is so lame. Bone broth is so easy to make, why add gelatin? If they really wanted to be modern, they should have used a pressure cooker to make a quicker bone broth. Modern doesn't have to mean cutting corners.
I think they used a hole punch to put holes in regular parchment paper
For some reason, my parchment paper ended up sticking a bit, I'm all for using cabbage leave, steamed for a bit in the basket and lightly brushed with canola/veg oil.
Chefsteps is more about modern cuisine... No where do they claim that this is an authentic recipe. In fact, they even admitted to the tidbit you just mentioned not being authentic in the introduction.
the authentic way does not involve anything with getalin, they instead use gelatin-rich parts of the pig such as ear, feet and skin to thicken the broth.
I definitely need a close-up of this folding technique... no clue how to properly do this just ba watching the video ;-)
I've been waiting for this, thank you CS! A bit more in-depth rolling/pleating/folding/tucking video would really help, I think.
(FYI: Gold Medal brand A/P flour has been recalled for E. Coli strain. Check on that before using that brand.)
Love dumplings and this post. I've never worked up the courage to try them myself, but it looks like it's time!
What a great idea. I want to try them. I'm curious, the parchment paper you show seems to have holes in it which seems to be what allows the steam through. Will regular parchment paper allow steam through?
I haven't tried it before, but I remember reading some alternative recipes for the soup base. It said to make the stock using the jointy bones for the cartilage and it will congeal that way. Love the simplicity of this video though, will try this soon!
