Crystal Skin Shrimp Dumplings

Crystal Skin Shrimp Dumplings

“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” ~ Mark Twain

~ DIM SUM SERIES ~

Twain was a man after my own heart. I love dim sum. The tapas-style dining means lots of varieties of food to try in one sitting, from savory to salty, spicy to sweet, it is like eating your way through a land of tastes and textures, delivered in bite-sized packages.  But as previously mentioned, scoring a spot at a good dim sum restaurant can be a feat.

If you are like me, given to occasional pangs of dim sum cravings, fear no more. Ever since I made my first shrimp dumplings based on Katie Chin’s Crystal Shrimp Dumpling^ recipe, I look forward to the times when I can grab a couple from the freezer anytime I want. They are great for freezing, and it does take a little bit of work to make (all the more reason to savor every bite) but once they are done, what remains is to relax and eat. Anytime I want. Celebrating little victories 🙂 Warm in a pan, lightly pan-fried, added to soup or even just microwaved, these are easy to make and hard to get wrong.  For fancier dumplings, use a dumpling press to seal the sides in Step 2.

More from the Dim Sum Series: Siu Mai Dumplings »

Crystal Skin Shrimp Dumplings

Crystal Skin Shrimp Dumplings
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Easy to make, hard to get wrong. Freeze up a batch to conveniently heat up, lightly fry, add to soups, even simply microwaved.
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizers
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 12-16
Ingredients
  • Round dumpling wrappers (store-bought)
  • 8 oz shrimp, chopped into paste-like consistency
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp white pepper
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 egg white, divided into 2
  • 2 tsp cilantro, finely chopped
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 spring onion, cut into ½" strips (for garnish)
  • *3 Tbsp light soy sauce (for dipping sauce)
  • *1½ Tbsp black vinegar (for dipping sauce)
  • *1/2" ginger, julienned (for dipping sauce)
Instructions
  1. Combine chopped shrimp with salt sugar, pepper, sesame oil, cornstarch, ½ of the egg white and chopped cilantro.
  2. Place 1 Tbsp of shrimp filling in the middle of a wrapper. Dap edges of the wrapper with the remaining egg white, fold wrapper over the filling and seal. Repeat till all filling is used, about 10-12 dumplings.
  3. Pan-fry both sides of the dumplings in 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat for about 1 minute.
  4. Add ½ cup water, cover and bring to a boil. Then uncover and allow to cook for another minute.
  5. Mix dipping sauce ingredients * in a small saucer.
  6. Garnish and serve with dipping sauce.
Notes
I prefer chopping the shrimp to using a food processor because I like to able to bite into pieces of shrimp. For a finer consistency, use a food processor to mince the shrimp.

To freeze, lay dumplings on a cooking sheet and tray after Step 2 and freeze. Store in a sealed bag when frozen.

(Adapted from Katie Chin's Crystal Shrimp Dumpling)

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^Although I am not affiliated with the author or publisher in any way, I recommend the book as a comprehensive starter to Chinese cooking. The photos are an inspiration to try the recipes.

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