Crab and Pork Shao Mai
From I Love Crabcakes
Makes 6 appetizer servings

This recipe is Tom's tribute to all those flavorful feasts on steamed dumplings that he's enjoyed in Dim Sum restaurants over the years.

Shao-mai or gyoza wrappers, available in Asian groceries, are 3-inch diameter rounds that are very thin. If you buy a thin square wrappers, it's easy to stack the wrappers in groups of 10 or so and shave the corners with a pair of kitchen shears to make rounds.

For steaming the shao mai, a multi-tiered Chinese bamboo steamer with two steaming baskets works best. Set your bamboo steamer over a wok or a large saucepan partially filled with boiling water. If you don't have a multi-tiered bamboo steamer, divide the dumplings between two pots with steamer baskets. (If you use metal steamer baskets instead of bamboo, lightly oil them first so the shao mai don't stick.)

If you like, you can make these ahead, chill, and reheat in the steamer baskets for about 5 minutes.

1 large egg white
1 tablespoon sake
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch, plus a little more for dusting the plate
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced scallions, white and green parts
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup drained, canned water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup peeled and grated carrot
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound crab meat, drained, picked clean of shell, and lightly squeezed of excess moisture if wet
About 24 raw green peas, fresh or frozen
1 package shao mai or gyoza wrappers

For serving Chili oil or Chinese hot chili paste

In a bowl, lightly whisk together the egg white, sake, soy, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the scallion, ginger, cilantro, water chestnuts, and carrot and stir. Add the pork and crab meat and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined.

Set a shao mai wrapper on a work surface and place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center. Then gather up the edges of the wrapper, pleating it around the filling. Hold the dumpling between your thumb and index finger, squeezing it to form a "waist," while flattening the bottom of the dumpling with your other hand. The dumpling will be open on top, leaving the top of the filling exposed. Press one pea into the center of the exposed filling. Set the dumpling on a large plate lightly dusted with cornstarch. Repeat until all the crab-pork mixture is used. You should have about 24 dumplings.

Fill a large saucepan or wok about halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat.

Divide the shao mai between two bamboo steamer baskets. Stack the baskets, cover with the lid, and place over the saucepan. Steam until the shao mai are cooked through, about 15 minutes, reversing the baskets about halfway through the steaming time.

Remove the shao mai from the baskets, transfer to plates and serve with ramekins of chili oil or chili paste.

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