Xiao Long Bao
Paper-thin wrappers pleated around juicy pork and a spoonful of steaming savory soup. These famous Shanghai soup dumplings are a rewarding weekend project with an unforgettable payoff.
- Prep time
- 1 hr 30 mins
- Cook time
- 15 mins
- Total time
- 1 hr 45 mins
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Calories
- 480
Ingredients
- 250g all-purpose flour
- 130ml warm water
- 300g ground pork, preferably fatty
- 150g pork aspic (gelatinized stock), diced small
- 2 spring onions, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- Black vinegar and ginger slivers, for serving
Instructions
- Make the dough: mix the flour and warm water into a shaggy dough, knead for 8 minutes until smooth, then cover and rest for 1 hour. This rest makes rolling much easier.
- For the filling, combine the ground pork, diced aspic, spring onions, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Stir vigorously in one direction for 3 minutes until tacky; this develops the springy texture.
- Divide the rested dough into 24 pieces and roll each into a 9cm circle, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edges.
- Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Pleat the edges up and around, twisting to seal, making 12 to 18 pleats. The seal must be tight so no soup escapes.
- Line a bamboo steamer with cabbage leaves or parchment squares and arrange the dumplings 2cm apart. Steam over boiling water for 8 minutes until the wrappers turn slightly translucent.
- Serve immediately with black vinegar and ginger slivers. Show guests the proper technique: nibble a small hole, sip the hot soup, then eat the dumpling.
Pro tips
- The aspic is the secret: as it melts in the steamer, it becomes the famous soup inside each dumpling.
- If you cannot find pork aspic, simmer 500ml of rich pork stock with 2 tablespoons of gelatin and chill overnight until firm.
- Do not overfill the wrappers or the pleats will burst open during steaming.
- Keep unfilled wrappers covered with a damp towel so they do not dry out and crack.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my dumplings leak?
Leaks usually come from a weak seal, overfilling, or a wrapper rolled too thin at the edges. Pleat firmly, keep fillings to 1 tablespoon, and keep the center of each wrapper slightly thicker.
Can I freeze xiao long bao?
Yes. Freeze uncooked dumplings on a tray until solid, then bag them. Steam from frozen for 10 to 12 minutes; the soup still forms beautifully.
What is the aspic and can I skip it?
Aspic is chilled, gelatin-rich pork stock that melts into soup when steamed. Without it you get a tasty pork dumpling, but not a true soup dumpling.
How do you eat soup dumplings?
Place one on your spoon, nibble a small hole to release steam, sip the soup carefully, then add vinegar and ginger and eat the rest in one or two bites.