Har gow (Cantonese crystal shrimp dumplings)

Method

1. 1 Peel the shrimp, leaving a few whole, and coarsely chop the rest. Mix them with diced fresh bamboo shoots, pork fat, sesame oil, sugar, salt, pepper, and cornstarch; refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the filling.
2. 2 Mix the wheat flour with tapioca starch and a pinch of salt, pour in boiling water, stir quickly, then cover and let it rest for 5 minutes until the flour is cooked through.
3. 3 Knead the hot dough until smooth and pliable, roll it into a tube, and then cut it into small, evenly sized pieces.
4. 4 Using the flat side of a knife, flatten each piece into a thin, round shell, add the filling, and fold the edges of the shell into the familiar comb shape.
5. 5 Arrange the dumplings on a steamer lined with oiled parchment paper, and steam over high heat for 7 minutes until the wrapper is translucent and the filling is pink.
6. 6 Serve immediately while hot, dipping it in soy sauce mixed with chili.

With an appliance

• Pressure cooker 42 min

  Replace step 5: steam dumplings under low pressure for 4 minutes, then quickly release the pressure to prevent the wrapper from becoming soggy; steps 1–4 and step 6 remain unchanged.