Name: Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 20 dumplings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 medium-sized whole chicken (see note 1); 3 stalks scallions, cut in half; 6 slices 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 stalks scallions, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon minced ginger; 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine; ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon sugar; Red rice vinegar or black rice vinegar, for dipping sauce; Ginger, julienned, for dipping sauce

Method

18 steps

Prepare the aspic: place the whole chicken in an ovenproof pot or roasting pan. Put the scallions and ginger inside the chicken, then cover tightly with a lid or foil.
Roast at 390°F (200°C; 360°F/180°C fan) for 1 hour. Leave covered to cool.
Pour the liquid from the chicken into a container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until set into jelly-like aspic (about 250 g). Reserve the chicken for another use.
Make the dough: mix the hot water into the flour with chopsticks or a spatula, then add the tap water.
Combine and knead into a dough. Cover and rest for 10 minutes, then knead again until very smooth.
Cover and rest the dough for another 30–60 minutes, until soft.
Make the filling: mix the minced pork with the scallions, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, salt, and sugar.
Remove the chicken fat from the top of the aspic. Break the aspic into tiny pieces with a fork, add it to the pork mixture, and mix well.
Cover and refrigerate the filling for at least 30 minutes. Keep it chilled until ready to assemble.
Roll the dough into a rope and divide it into 20 pieces. Press each piece into a disc and keep unused pieces covered.
Roll each disc into a very thin wrapper about 12 cm (4.7 inches) in diameter, using a roll-and-turn motion. Dust with flour if needed.
Assemble each dumpling as its wrapper is rolled so the thin wrappers do not dry out.
Place about 35 g of filling in the center of each wrapper.
Pleat each dumpling with about 15–20 folds; leave the center open or seal it.
Line a steamer basket with steamer parchment or small squares of parchment paper.
Arrange dumplings in the basket with at least 3 cm (1 inch) between them.
Bring water to a full boil in a wok or pot. Set the steamer basket over it, reduce heat to medium-low, and steam for 8 minutes. If steaming more than 10 dumplings at once, steam for 10 minutes.
Serve immediately with rice vinegar and julienned ginger.