How to make Xiao Long Bao (小笼包, Soup Dumplings)
Making Xiao Long Bao isn’t an easy task. My detailed instructions and tutorial video will guide you to make it to a restaurant standard.
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Yield
- 20 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized whole chicken (see note 1)
- 3 stalk scallions (cut into halves)
- 6 slice ginger
- 180 g all-purpose flour (see note 2 for other options)
- 60 g hot water
- 35 g tap water (see note 3)
- 450 g minced pork
- 3 stalk scallions (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Red rice vinegar (or black rice vinegar)
- Ginger, julienned
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven at 390°F/200°C/Gas 6 (Fan-assisted 360°F/180°C)
- 2
Place chicken in an oven-proof pot/pan/baking tray. Put scallions and ginger inside the chicken. Cover TIGHTLY with a lid/tin foil.
- 3
Cook in the oven for 1 hour. Then leave to cool (covered).
- 4
Keep the chicken for other dishes. Pour the liquid into a container. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until it turns into a piece of jelly-like aspic (about 250g).
- 5
In a mixing bowl, add hot water to the flour. Mix with chopsticks/spatula. Then add tap water.
- 6
Combine and knead into a dough. Leave to rest (covered) for 10 minutes then knead again until very smooth.
- 7
Cover and rest for a further 30-60 minutes until it becomes soft.
- 8
Mix minced pork with all the seasoning until well combined.
- 9
Use a spoon to remove the layer of chicken fat on top of the aspic. Then use a fork to break it into tiny pieces. Add to the pork then mix well.
- 10
Keep refrigerated for at least 30 mins. Don’t take out until you are ready to assemble the dumplings.
- 11
Roll the dough into a rope. Divide into 20 pieces. Then press into discs with the palm of your hand. Cover at all times when not using (with cling film/in a plastic bag/with an upside-down bowl, etc.).
- 12
With a rolling pin, use the “roll and turn” technique to flatten it into a very thin disc, about 12cm/4.7inch in diameter (Please refer to my tutorial video below). Dust the surface with flour if it sticks (see note 4).
- 13
N.B. Assemble the dumpling one by one as you roll out each wrapper (Do not stock up as they are very thin thus dry out very easily).
- 14
Place a spoonful of the filling (about 35g) in the middle of the wrapper.
- 15
Pleat into a round dumpling with about 15-20 folds (Please refer to my tutorial video below). You may leave the middle part open or sealed.
- 16
Line the steamer basket with steamer parchment paper, or cut regular parchment paper into squares (see note 5 if you are using a metal steamer).
- 17
Place dumplings in (leave at least 3cm/1inch space between them).
- 18
Bring water to a full boil in a wok/pot. Then put the steamer basket on top. Turn the heat to medium-low. Steam for 8 mins (if cooking over 10 dumplings at a time, increase to 10 mins).
- 19
Bring the steamer basket to the table to serve.
- 20
Hold the top part of the dumpling with a pair of chopsticks. Pick up then place onto a soup spoon or a small saucer. Open a small hole with the chopsticks to let the “soup” flow out. Slurp up! (You may directly bite a small hole and suck out the soup but be careful not to burn your tongue)
- 21
Gently dip the dumpling into the dipping sauce (mix vinegar with julienned ginger) then eat in 1-2 bites.
- 22
You may store leftover dumplings in the fridge for up to 2 days. Steam for 3 mins to reheat. However, you may not get any soup as the liquid is absorbed by the wrapper over time.
- 23
Since soup dumplings are very delicate, I don’t recommend you make them in advance or freeze.