Steamed Meat Dumplings (Siu Mai)

Steamed Meat Dumplings (Siu Mai)
Recipe from Rhoda Yee’s Dim Sum.

Makes: 5-6 dozen

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground pork sausage (uncased mild Italian sausage works well)
1 lb. fresh ground pork
2 teaspoons salt
15 water chestnuts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon salted turnip, finely minced (preserved with salt and garlic)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon teriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ cup cilantro
1 stalk green onions, finely chopped
2 packages round wonton skins
Shrimp or orange fish/shrimp roe to garnish (optional)

Preparation:

To make filling:
1. Mix all ingredients except wonton skins. Be sure to taste test the filling to make sure it is seasoned to your liking. To test it, set up your steamer and drop a spoonful into your cake pan.

Wrapping:
1. Drop 1 teaspoon mixture onto middle of the wonton skin, gather up skin sides, letting the dough pleat naturally.
2. Flatten top and give the middle a light squeeze while tapping the bottom on a flat surface so it will stand upright.
3. Top with a small piece of shrimp or a sprinkle of roe to garnish.

Steaming:
1. Arrange dumplings in an 8 inch round cake pan. Set pan on the steam rack in the wok. Fill bottom of wok with water. Cover. Steam for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with a sesame oil and soy sauce dip. (1 part sesame oil to 2 parts light soy sauce, plus 1 teaspoon of sugar).

Do-ahead Notes: Steam dumplings. Cool and freeze. Reheat by steaming again for 12-15 minutes.