Dim Sum Experiments

Recently had my first experience with steamed won-tons, at Haru in Boston.

I ordered the King Crab Dumplings which were delicate and delicious. I knew I couldn’t do them justice with the crab available to me, but I really wanted to steam some dumplings. I decided to experiment with ground turkey.

To ensure that my dad and sister would really like something I make tonight, I decided to make a back-up (inspired by these).

I wanted to make another dim sum, but couldn’t decide between the taco ones from the link above and these. I let my sister decide and of course she went with the taco version. I turned out to be a pretty good choice because after dropping off the taco dim sum for my dad and sister to try while I steamed dumplings, I returned to find all but two eaten (luckily I’d saved a few in the kitchen for myself).

All in all, the dim sum went over well, the sausage in the Italian won-tons was a little spicier than I thought it would be, and after making the soy vinaigrette I found out that my sister hates soy sauce. Nothing ever turns out perfect though.

Turkey Asian Won-tons

1/3 lb ground turkey

½ spring onion (minced)

2 tbs. stir-fry sauce

About 15-18 won-tons (I ended up with 16 filled won-tons)

Egg wash

Mix turkey, spring onion and stir-fry sauce.

Brush two sides of a won-ton with egg wash, place 1 tsp of filling in the center, fold the won-ton over, press to seal and then fold in corners. Repeat until you are out of filling.

If using a metal steamer, spray it with non-stick spray.

Place 6-8 won-tons in the steamer (don’t overcrowd) and cover. Steam for 5-7 minutes or until filling is firm.

Soy vinaigrette

2 tbs. soy sauce

1 tbs. rice vinegar

3 tbs. oil

4-6 drops of srircacha

Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar and srircacha. Whisk in oil.

Italian Won-tons

1/3 lb Italian sausage

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 tbs. marinara sauce

15-18 won-ton wrappers (I ended up with 18 filled won-tons)

Mix sausage, parmesan cheese and marinara sauce.

Brush two sides of a won-ton with egg wash, place 1 tsp of filling in the center, fold the won-ton over, press to seal and then fold in corners. Repeat until you are out of filling.

If using a metal steamer, spray it with non-stick spray.

Place 6-8 won-tons in the steamer (don’t overcrowd) and cover. Steam for 5-7 minutes or until filling is firm.

Assembling the Won-tons

Get all your ingredients together.

Add the filling.Fold in half.

Fold in the corners.

And like magic you'll have...

Time to steam!

Taco Dim Sum

2 cups flour

2/3 cup boiling water (and a little cold water)

Salt

cilantro/parsley/something green

½ cup taco cheese

1 cup of taco meat

Mix the boiling water into the flour, once it gets crumbly and the water is absorbed, start kneading by hand. Once the dough is well mixed, roll into a ball and cover with a damp paper towel for 30 minutes.

Prepare taco meat and let cool.

Roll out the dough, get it as close to a rectangle as you can.

Cover with a thin layer of taco meat, cheese, and cilantro/parsley/something green.

Roll up and seal the edge with a little water.

At least point because I wasn’t cooking them immediately I wrapped

the roll up really tight in plastic wrap,

but this step can be skipped.

Slice into 1 inch thick rounds. Place rounds in a hot sauté pan (that you have sprayed with non-stick spray or added a few teaspoons of oil to). Flip when the bottoms are brown.