Lobster dumplings

Handcrafted Chinese dumplings come in all shapes and sizes. This version is stuffed with lobster, and then boiled and pan-fried to get that crunchy bottom.

Credit: Lee Chan's World Food Tour

• makes

  10-15

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• vegetable oil, to pan-fry
• red vinegar, ginger, for dipping

Filling

• 1 cup fresh lobster meat
• 1 cup fresh prawn meat
• 1 cup cooked lobster
• 50 g finely chopped Chinese celery
• 50 g finely chopped carrot
• 50 g finely chopped coriander
• 30 g finely chopped ginger
• 30 g finely chopped spring onion, white part only
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder
• 1 tsp salt
• pinch of sugar
• 2 heaped tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp dry shrimp, ground, toasted
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp shaoxing wine

Pastry

• 2 cups dry raw flour
• ¾ cup (180 ml) boiling water

Instructions

1. Combine lobster meats and prawn meat in a large bowl.
2. Add celery, carrot, coriander, ginger and spring onion. Stir to combine.
3. Add chicken powder, salt, pinch of pepper, sugar, cornflour, dry shrimp, sesame oil and shaoxing wine. Stir to combine well. Set aside.
4. To make dough, combine flour and water. Knead dough and cut into smaller pieces. Roll out into flat circles.
5. Add a little bit of filling to each pastry circle. Cup the dumpling in your hand. Squeeze together and pinch closed at the top. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. (Alternatively, shape into your preferred dumpling shape.)
6. Boil dumplings in water, in batches, for about 3 minutes, or until starting to change colour.
7. Empty cooking water from pan and wipe out to dry. Add a little vegetable oil. Return dumplings to pan and pan-fry for 1–2 minutes, or until bases are lightly coloured.  
8. Serve with ginger and red vinegar for dipping.

 

This recipe is from Lee Chan's World Food Tour on SBS Food (Channel 33). Stream episodes via SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.