Make Your Own Chinese Dumplings: Yotam Ottolenghi’s Recipes for Shanghai Buns | Food

I tend to eat more Chinese food when I’m out than when I’m cooking at home. The biang biang noodles that I can get at my local Xi’an Impression in north London, for example, demand to be eaten rather than replicated. However, when I’m not eating too much there, it’s the Fuchsia Dunlop books that encourage me and my team to try our luck. Today’s Shanghai pot sticker buns are the result of my buddy Jake Norman recently getting lost and inspired by the Land of Fish and Rice from him.

shanghai buns

This dough can be steamed to make baos or fried to make dumplings; if you are a fan of an extra crispy shell, they can also be deep-fried. Once you’ve made the dough, use whatever fillings you like to turn it into meatballs. I have given some ideas in the following two recipes.

Homework 10 minutes
Prove 50min+
Cook 1 hour
brands 15 buns

300 g strong white bread flourplus extra 1½ tablespoons for sprinkling
1 teaspoon fast-acting dry yeast
½ teaspoon powdered sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sesame oil
175ml warm water
350-400g the filling of your choice
(see below for ideas)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 star anise

Dipping sauce or black rice vinegarserve

Place the first five ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, keeping the yeast and salt separate and on opposite sides. Mix on medium speed, then add the sesame oil and 175ml warm water until a dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and mix for 10 more minutes, until smooth and pliable. Shape the dough into a ball, place it back in the blender jar, cover it with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place for about 50 minutes to an hour, to rise until doubled in size.

Remove the risen dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Knead well to remove all air, then roll into a 4cm wide sausage. Cut it into 15 pieces of about 30g each, then, using a rolling pin, roll each piece into a 3mm thick, 9cm diameter disk and flour generously.

To shape the buns, place a disk in the palm of your non-dominant hand and place a tablespoon of your choice of filling in the middle. I’ve given a couple of padding ideas below, but you can put anything you’d like. inside. Use your other hand to lift the edges of the disk up and over the filling so they meet at the top and enclose it. Use your fingers to twist and seal the top edges so that it now looks like a bag of money. Pinch and twist the peak into a spiral, then cut off and discard the top 1/2 inch of dough. Place the dough spiral side down on a lightly floured surface and repeat with the remaining discs of muffin dough.

To cook the stuffed buns, heat the vegetable oil in a large (11-inch) nonstick skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Once hot, turn off the heat and carefully place the buns in the pan seam side down, so they cover the bottom of the pan; It’s okay if they touch a little, but you don’t want them to be snug. Return the pan to the heat and fry the buns for two minutes, until golden brown and just beginning to brown on the bottom. With great care, it might spit out! – Pour 160ml of boiling water around the edges of the pot (ie not over the buns), add the star anise, cover the pot with its lid and steam for six minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking uncovered until all the water has evaporated and the buns are cooked through.

Turn off the heat and carefully use tongs to lift each bun fried-side up onto a large plate. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or a small bowl of black rice vinegar.

Swiss chard and tofu buns with sweet ginger sauce

Yotam Ottolenghi rainbow chard and tofu buns with sweet ginger sauce.Yotam Ottolenghi rainbow chard and tofu buns with sweet ginger sauce.

This is an excellent vegetarian filling for rolls and empanadas alike. If you want to go ahead, make the filling and dipping sauce the day before. And if you prefer, use store-bought dumpling wrappers to make the dumplings.

Homework 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Cool 1 hour
fillings 15 buns

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves
(15 g), peeled and crushed
Fresh ginger 5 cm piece (10 g), peeled and finely grated
1 red chili (10 g), stems removed, pith and seeds removed, finely chopped
4 spring onionstrimmed and sliced ​​thinly, white and green parts kept separate
30 g stem gingervery finely chopped
400 g rainbow chardstems and leaves separated, stems finely chopped, leaves crumbled
Fine sea salt and black pepper
225g silken tofu
drained

For the dipping sauce
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
30ml soy sauce
50ml jar of stem ginger syrup
10 ml chinkiang vinegar (or black rice)
½ teaspoon lime juice

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the garlic, ginger, chile, and spring onion whites, and sauté for two minutes, until sizzling and fragrant. Add the ginger stem, the chard stems, half a teaspoon of salt and a good amount of pepper, and fry, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, until the stems are tender. Add the chard leaves and cook, stirring frequently, for an additional five minutes, until softened.

Meanwhile, put the tofu in a large bowl and beat vigorously for 30 seconds, until lightly creamy. Add the chard mixture and a quarter teaspoon of salt, stir to combine, then let cool.

Put the first four ingredients for the dipping sauce in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of water, bring to a boil, and cook over medium-high heat for three minutes. Pour into a small bowl and add the lime juice.

If you are using the mix in Shanghai buns, fill and cook the buns according to today’s first recipe. Once you have removed the lid after steaming and the water has evaporated, scatter the scallion leaves and cover the pan again for 20 seconds before transferring the buns to the serving plate. Serve with the dipping sauce on the side.

White Crab and Cabbage Buns with Brown Crab Caramel

Yotam Ottolenghi cabbage and white crab buns with brown crab caramel.Yotam Ottolenghi cabbage and white crab buns with brown crab caramel.

The words “crab” and “caramel” don’t often go together, but trust me on this one. Mixed with egg or mayonnaise, this also makes a great pie or sandwich filling, by the way.

Homework 10 minutes
Steep 20 minutes
Cool 20 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
fillings 15 buns

For the filling
350 g Chinese cabbage (or napa)shredded
Fine sea salt and black pepper
200 g of white crab meat
1 teaspoon tarragon leaves
coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chivesvery finely chopped
1 tablespoon coriandervery finely chopped
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons of fish sauce
30 g unsalted butter
Melted
1 teaspoon of honey
2 teaspoons of common flour
1 lime
the zest finely grated, to obtain 1 teaspoon, then cut into 6 wedges

For the crab caramel
40 g unsalted butter
2 teaspoons demerara sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ red chili
(5 g), stem, pith and seed removed, pulp coarsely chopped
50 g brown crab meat
½ teaspoon lime juice

Start by making the filling. Place the cabbage in a large colander set over a bowl, sprinkle with an eighth teaspoon of salt, mix well and let sit for 20 minutes. Working a handful at a time, squeeze to extract as much water as possible from the cabbage, then place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl with all the other filling ingredients and a good cracking of black pepper. Mix well and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Use it to fill Shanghai buns and cook as in today’s first recipe, or to fill store-bought dumpling wrappers.

Five minutes before serving (or, if you’re making it to go with Shanghai buns, when the buns are steaming), prepare the crab candy. Place the butter, sugar, soy, chilli, and one-eighth teaspoon of salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer for 90 seconds, until thick and glossy, then remove from heat. Add the brown crab meat, lime juice, and a teaspoon of water, and stir until smooth and well blended. Serve immediately with the lime wedges for squeezing on the side.

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