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Chinese soup dumplings (sheng jian bao)

Chinese Soup Dumplings (Sheng Jian Bao)

Chinese soup dumplings (sheng jian bao)

Name: Chinese soup dumplings (sheng jian bao)
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Makes 12
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 250ml chicken stock; 50ml shaoxing rice wine; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 6 leaves gelatine; 200g plain flour; 1/4 tsp salt; 400g pork mince; 15g dried shitake mushrooms soaked in boiling water then drained well and finely chopped; 4 spring onions finely chopped; 3cm piece ginger finely grated; 2 cloves garlic crushed; 1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp cornflour; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tsp salt; sesame seeds; Chinese black rice vinegar; chilli oil; 4cm shredded ginger

Adam Bush

Published: April 6, 2017 at 12:00 PM

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Makes 12

A little effort

Total time: 1 hr and 20 mins

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Follow our recipe for the best ever Chinese soup dumplings. A pork, and sometimes prawn, filling is encased in a thin, chewy dough, crisped on the bottom, beautifully pleated at the top, and the first bite unleashes a torrent of heady, fragrant stock. The dumplings are served with chilli oil and black vinegar

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Alternatives

Complete the dish

Make these Chinese soup dumplings, then also check out our Chinese dumplings, pork dumplings and siu mai dumplings.

What is a Chinese soup dumpling?

Foodies have been seeking out xiao long bao, smaller soup dumplings, in Chinatown for years – but their bigger, more rustic sibling, the sheng jian bao, is now super popular too. We love the dumplings from Dumpling Shack in East London.

How to make Chinese soup dumplings

The delivery of the soup can be tricky. Some people stick a little bit of jelly stock on top of the filling, but this can make them a little tricky to shape when pleating – the stock just wants to escape! Instead, chop the jelly up finely, and stir it through the filling, so that as the dumplings cook, the jelly melts through with the filling juices and pools at the bottom. They’re also a lot easier to pleat. These are difficult beasts to master, but we’ve taken out all the trial and tribulation for you. In fact, we’re very happy with our dumplings, and you will be too.

Chinese soup dumplings recipe

Ingredients

Nutrition

STOCK JELLY

250ml chicken stock
50ml shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
6 leaves gelatine

DOUGH

200g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt

DUMPLING FILLING

400g pork mince
15g dried shitake mushrooms

soaked in boiling water then drained well and finely chopped
4 spring onions

finely chopped
3cm piece ginger

finely grated
2 cloves garlic

crushed
1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt

TO SERVE

sesame seeds
Chinese black rice vinegar
chilli oil
4cm shredded ginger

Nutrition: per serving

kcal135
fat3.8g
saturates1.3g
carbs14.9g
sugars0.9g
fibre1g
protein9.8g
salt0.8g

Method

step 1

Line a 30cm x 20cm baking tray with clingfilm. To make the stock jelly, mix together the chicken stock, rice wine and soy, bring to the boil and season. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine in ice-cold water until soft. Once the stock is up to the boil, remove from the heat and add the softened gelatine leaves, stir well until dissolved and pour into the prepared tray. Chill for 2-3 hours, until completely set.
step 2

To make the dough, mix together the flour and salt in a bowl and gradually add 100ml of warm water, mixing until a dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic, then wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
step 3

Remove the jelly from the tray, cut into thin strips and chop finely. In a bowl, mix together all of the filling ingredients, then add the chopped jelly stock and mix well.
step 4

Roll the rested dough into a thick, even sausage, cut into 12 pieces and cover with damp kitchen paper. Take a piece of dough and roll it into a circle approximately 10cm in diameter, rolling the outer edge slightly thinner than the centre. Stamp out a neat circle using a 10cm cutter.
step 5

Put the dough circle in your hand and fill with 2 heaped tbsp of the filling. Using your thumb and finger, pinch the dough to create the first pleat – this will be the central point to which you bring all other pleats. Gather another edge and draw round to pleat. Repeat, slowly rotating, until sealed. Do the same with the remaining dough and filling.
step 6

Heat a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat with a little oil and add the dumplings – you may have to do this in batches. Cook for 2-3 minutes until crisp and golden, then add 150ml of water to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the dough is slightly translucent and the filling is cooked. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with black vinegar, chilli oil and shredded ginger.

Try one of our other Chinese recipes...

Authors

Adam Bush Chef Portrait

Adam BushDeputy food editor

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