hello hi everyone! Wesley here. Today we’re diving back into our series dedicated to the Bay Area restaurant scene with a shot at what I genuinely consider to be the most difficult thing that I have ever tried to cook, which is the Chinese xiao long bao, or soup dumpling, as they are often more colloquially known as. For those not familiar, a xiao long bao is an otherwise unassuming Chinese steamed dumpling with one unique feature, which is that it has a spoonful of soup broth folded into the dumpling. This is achieved with a cartilage heavy broth called aspic that solidifies into a gelatinous form when cooled down. The solid gelatinous broth is then folded into the filling, which then turns back into a liquid form once the dumpling is steamed, for the juiciest, most wonderful dumpling you will ever eat.
More specifically, I’ll be taking my best shot at what I personally would rate the best xiao long bao in the Bay Area, which is the one found at Ming’s Tasty here in Oakland, CA. Not only does their xiao long bao have a wonderful structural integrity that keeps it from exploding before you can get it on a spoon, but it also (seemingly impossibly) has a perfectly thin dough to it too, which prevents the xiao long bao from being TOO doughy as well. Hope you try it.
Yields 24
INGREDIENTS (aspic)
4 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
2 medium carrots
3 green onions (whites)
4 strips thick cut bacon
1lb chicken feet
8 cups water
INGREDIENTS (filling)
4 cloves garlic
1 inch (about 1 tbsp) ginger
3 green onions (greens)
8 oz ground pork
4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or 2 tbsp full sodium soy sauce)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp corn starch
INGREDIENTS (wrappers)
2 cups AP flour
1 cup water
pinch kosher salt
INGREDIENTS (other)
cabbage (or lettuce)
red vinegar (optional)
PREP (aspic)
CRUSH the garlic, add to stock pot
ROUGH chop the ginger, add to stock pot
ROUGH chop the carrots, add to stock pot
SEPARATE the whites of the green onions, add to stock pot
ROUGH chop the bacon, add to stock pot
REMOVE the claws of the chicken feet, add to stock pot
ADD water to the stock pot, bring to a boil, and let simmer for 2 hours
STRAIN into a heatproof bowl, let cool for 30 minutes, and then refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight
SLICE into small cubes, then remove from the container, and rough chop
PREP (filling)
CRUSH and mince the garlic, add to mixing bowl
FINE MINCE the ginger, add to mixing bowl
SLICE thinly the greens of the green onions, add to mixing bowl
COMBINE all filling ingredients, then fold in the chopped aspic, and refrigerate until ready to use
PREP (wrappers)
COMBINE all wrapper ingredients, and kneed until a cohesive dough forms, then let rest for 30 minutes
DIVIDE into 24 even pieces (about 15 grams each)
ROLL into an even ball between your palms, then flatten and roll out, rotating a quarter turn after each roll
ON THE STOVE
LINE a steam basket with cabbage (or lettuce)
BOIL 2 cups water in a stock pot, then let simmer
ADD 1/2 tbsp filling to a wrapper, then fold shut with pleats, leaving the top open to vent (optional)
ADD xiao long bao to the steam basket and place on top of the stock pot
COVER and steam for 8 minutes
SERVE with red vinegar