Shrimp Toast

Shrimp Toast (蝦多士 -- Hatosi)

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 green onions, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 egg

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 cup minced water chestnuts

1-1/2 teaspoon minced ginger root

6 slices white bread, crust removed

2 cups oil

Place shrimp, green onion, egg, rice wine, cornstarch, salt and pepper in food processor or blender and whirl until smooth paste is formed. Remove to bowl and stir in water chestnuts and ginger root.

Spread 2 tablespoons shrimp mixture on each slice of bread. Freeze 15 minutes or until bread can be easily cut. Cut diagonally in quarters.

In medium skillet, heat oil and add a few pieces of bread shrimp side down. Fry over medium high heat. Turn and fry; remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot.

Chinese Barbecued Pork

Chinese Barbecued Pork (叉燒 -- Chāshāo)

1 pound whole pork belly, skin removed

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Marinate the pork belly: In a large bowl, mix together the rice wine, dark soy sauce, sugar, garlic, hoisin sauce, and five-spice powder. Rub the pork belly with the marinade mixture and marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Hold up the pork for a few seconds to allow excess marinade to drip off, then place the pork in a roasting pan. Brush the top with the honey. Roast the pork for about 45 minutes, flipping over the pork belly half-way through and brushing honey on the other side. The pork is done when the outsides begin to crisp and blacken and the center of the pork belly strip feels firm.

Remove the pork from oven and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into thin slices. Arrange the slices on a plate and serve.

Mushroom Dumplings

Mushroom Dumplings (蘑菇餃子 -- Mógū jiǎozi)

3 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound mushrooms, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1-1/4 cup shredded cabbage

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 green onion, light and dark green part thinly sliced

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic, and cook until all liquid has left the mushrooms, about 8-10 minutes. If there is still liquid left in the pan, carefully drain it out.

Add the carrot and cabbage and cook another 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, black pepper, and green onion.

To wrap: Place 1 teaspoon of filling (about 1 teaspoonin the center of a wrapper. Wet the top edge of the wrapper. Pleat the edges to crimp closed. Place finished dumpling on a baking tray. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat. Add 8-10 dumplings (don’t overcrowd the pan) and brown on bottom side, about 4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and reduce heat to medium. Cover pan and let pot stickers cook another 3 minutes. Remove lid from pan and if any water then continue cooking until water has evaporated.

Serve with soy sauce for dipping.

Shrimp Won-ton

Shrimp Won-ton (蝦仁餛飩 -- Xiārén húntún)

3/4 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons cornstarch

3 sprigs coriander, leaves only, minced

2 whole water chestnuts, peeled and finely chopped, optional

3 dashes ground white pepper

20 square Won-ton skins

1/2 beaten egg, for sealing won-tons

Ginger Vinegar Dipping Sauce:

2 teaspoons peeled, grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons dark vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

For dipping sauce: Combine ginger, soy sauce, vinegar and green onions. Reserve.

Coarsely chop the shrimp into pieces and combine well with salt, oil, ginger, sugar, rice wine, sesame oil, cornstarch, coriander, water chestnuts and pepper. Reserve.

To wrap: First lay a piece of the won-ton wrapper on your palm and add 1 teaspoon of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Dip your index finger into the beaten egg and trace it on the outer edges of the won-ton wrapper. Pinch the edges of the won-ton wrapper and seal the won-ton tight. It should look like a small onion with a bit of the top left on.

Boil the won-tons in boiling water for a couple of minutes or until they float to the top.

Serve hot with ginger vinegar dipping sauce.

Chicken Shu Mai

Chicken Shu Mai (雞舒嘸嗌 -- Jī shū fǔ ài)

1/2 lb chicken thigh

8 medium shrimp

2 black fungus (chopped into thin threads)

1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1/2 tablespoon finely chopped scallion (white part only)

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
3 dashes white pepper

1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

1/2 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 tablespoon egg white

Pinch of salt

1 package round Gyoza wrappers (Dynasty brand)

Garnish: finely chopped carrot and peas

Skin and debone chicken thighs; peel, devein and dice shrimp into small pieces.

Using a mini food processor, coarsely grind chicken. In a bowl combine the chicken with shrimp, black fungus, ginger, green onion, sesame oil, pepper, bouillon powder, corn starch and egg white. Cover the bowl and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Place about a tablespoon of filling on each wrapper, gather up the sides and leave the center open. Garnish the top with some chopped carrot and a pea.

Steam in a bamboo steamer for about 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Steamed Dumplings

Steamed Dumplings (蒸餃 -- Zhēng jiǎo)

1/2 pound ground pork (ground chicken or turkey)

8-10 medium-sized shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into small pieces

1 green onion, finely chopped

3 dashes white pepper

1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or sherry, optional

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

1 pack Gyoza wrappers (Dynasty brand)

Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar

Combine the ground pork, shrimp, chopped green onion, ginger, white pepper, wine, salt, soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Reserve.

To make dumplings: Place a small spoonful of the filling in the center of a wrapper. Dab a little water with your finger and circle around the edge of the skin, and then fold in-half and pleat the dumpling. Repeat until all the filling is used. Dumplings should appear like fat hall-moons with pleats.

Arrange the dumplings in a bamboo steamer (lined with parchment paper at the bottom) and steam for 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately with soy-vinegar dipping sauce.

Shrimp and Chive Dumplings

Shrimp and Chive Dumplings (蝦和韭菜餃子 -- Xiā hé jiǔcài jiǎozi)

12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 ounce chives, snipped

1 teaspoon egg white

1/2 teaspoon tapioca starch

1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

3 dashes white pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon oil

20 square white Won-ton skins

Cooking oil for pan-frying

Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar

Clean and rinse the shrimp with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Mix the soy-vinegar dipping sauce and set aside.

Cut the shrimp into small pieces (about 3-4 pieces per shrimp). In a bowl mix well cut shrimp and chives. Add egg white, starch,, bouillon powder, salt fist sauce sesame oil, white pepper, sugar, oil and mix well. Marinate the filling for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Lay a won-ton skin on a flat surface. Dab your index finger with some water and trace it along the four outer edges of the won-ton skin. Add a teaspoon of the filling and fold the won-ton skin towards the middle. Dab some water to the won-ton skin to seal tight. The dumplings should look somewhat round. Repeat the same until the filling is used up.

Heat a pan on medium, add some oil and heat. Transfer all dumplings into the pan and cover. Pan-fry the dumplings on one side until golden brown and then turn over to pan-fry the other site. (Add more oil to the pan if required.) Repeat to make sure that both sites are equally done.

Place on serving platter and serve immediately with soy-vinegar dipping sauce.