CHINESE DIM SUM: Pig skin might not be everybody's idea of delicacy, but it is definitely a popular item on the dim sum lunch menu.

PIG’S SKIN AND WHITE RADISH 豬皮蘿蔔:

 

 

 

 

1 lb. pkg. pig’s skin****                                            

1 lb. white radish or turnip

2 slices ginger, crushed                                               

2 cloves garlic, crushed                                                          

rice wine or dry sherry

seasoning sauce:

    4 cups water                                                           

    1 piece dried tangerine peel, soaked

    ½ cup light soy sauce                                              

    ¼ cup dark soy sauce

    1 tbsp. sugar                                                           

    ¼ tsp. salt

    dash of sesame oil and white pepper

1 tbsp. tapioca starch mixed with 3 tbsp. water

 

 

*** Pig’s skin is packaged in dry form, available in Chinese supermarket. Soak it in a saucepan with enough water to cover overnight then bring water to the boil with a slice of ginger and a stalk of green onion. Boil 1 minute then drain, rinse and squeeze dry. Cut into large pieces to use***

 

 

 

Peel radish and cut into large wedges. Add them to a saucepan of boiling water and cook, covered, over medium heat, until almost tender. Drain and set aside.

 

In wok or large saucepan, heat oil over high heat until very hot. Cook ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add radish and stir-fry together for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle in rice wine or sherry and add in seasoning ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and cook at medium heat for 15 minutes. Add pig’s skin and simmer together for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it steep for 1 hour. Thicken sauce with starch solution if preferred. Serve hot.

CHINESE COOKING: Tea-flavoured eggs have a long history of being served as street food. You can find them as staples in most food stalls and markets all over China today.

TEA-FLAVOURED EGGS茶葉蛋:

 

 

 

12 hard-boiled eggs

soaking ingrdeients:

    3 cups water                                                           

    4 star anise

    1 small piece cinnamon bark                                  

    300 gm cane sugar bricks

    ½ cup dark soy sauce                                             

    ¼ cup light soy sauce

    2 tsp. salt                                                    

    2 tbsp. Tiguanyin tea***

 

*** Tiguanyin 鐵觀音 tea is available at Chinese supermarket***

 

 

Put soaking ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Checking for taste after sugar has completely dissolved, making adjustment with adding more water or more soy sauce according to taste.

 

Crack shells of hard-boiled eggs slightly all over; then add them into soaking mixture, making sure eggs are completely covered by soaking liquid.

 

Bring mixture back to a boil; cover pot and cook eggs at low heat for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and let eggs sit for 30 minutes more.

 

Bring mixture back to the boil again; then remove pot from heat and let eggs stand in mixture overnight.

 

Serve eggs with shells on, remove shells before eating.

SWEET DIM SUM: This is my personal favourite out of the variety of dessert dim sum. Hope you like them too.

SWEET POTATO CROQUETTE 薯茸棗:

 

 

 

 

8 oz. sweet potatoes                                                    

1 oz. lard or vegetable shortening

6 oz. glutinous rice flour                                             

½ cup white sesame seeds                                          

8 oz.  red bean paste; homemade or canned               

cooking oil for deep frying     

 

 

 

 

Peel sweet potatoes, wash and cut into cubes. Put in microwavable container with a sprinkling of water. Microwave on high power 5 to 6 minutes until soft.

 

Mash sweet potatoes and add lard. Knead together until smooth and soft. Transfer mixture to dry work surface and sift glutinous rice flour over it. Mix flour in and knead to soft dough. Divide and cut dough into 24 equal portions.

 

Flatten each piece of dough to oval shape; then add a piece of red bean as filling. Roll dough up into cylindrical shape.  Repeat procedure with the rest of dough pieces; then coat each with sesame seeds.

 

In wok or large saucepan, heat enough oil for deep-frying over high heat until very hot. Reduce heat to medium-high and deep-fry croquettes until golden brown.

 

Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.

SWEET DIM SUM: I believe these sweet pancakes are no longer served at dim sum lunches. Hope you'll like trying this recipe out to make them at home.

SESAME PANCAKES 麻香薄撑:

 

 

 

 

2 cups glutinous rice flour                                          

1 cup cold water

2 tsp. oil

filling:

    ¼ cup white sesame seeds                          

    1/3 cup sugar

    ½ cup crushed unsalted peanuts                 

    finely chopped parsley for garnish

cooking oil

 

 

 

Put flour in a large bowl. Add water and oil; then mix and knead into smooth soft dough. Divide dough into 3 pieces and flatten each piece out into a large round. Set aside.

 

In large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp. oil over high heat until very hot. Cook one piece of dough at a time, pressing down with spatula while cooking, to thin it out evenly. Brown one side; then turn over to brown the other side.

 

Mix filling together. Add 2 tbsp. filling into one side of pancake. Roll up into sausage shape. Cut each roll-up pancake into serving pieces to serve.

SWEET DIM SUM: This cake/pudding is traditionally served at dim sum lunches. But I would advise enjoying it at restaurants rather than trying to make it at home because it is time consuming to do so.

WHITE SUGAR SPONGE CAKE白糖糕:

 

 

 

 

12 oz. rice flour                                                          

4 oz. tang flour 澄麵

4 cups water                                                               

½ egg white

2 ½ cups sugar

yeast dough:

    ½ cup rice flour                                          

    ½ cup warm water + ½ tsp. sugar

    2 tsp. active dry yeast                                             

   

 

 

Proof yeast with the warm water and sugar for 10 minutes. Stir down and let stand 5 minutes more. Add rice flour to make into a sponge. Cover and let rise in a warm place until sponge has tripled in bulk, about 4-5 hours.

 

Put rice flour and tang flour in a bowl and add in 2 cups of the water. Mix well then let mixture stand until water is separated from the flour mixture. Pour off water from the surface and set aside.

 

Bring the remaining 2 cups of the water to a boil over medium heat and add sugar, stirring well to dissolve. Add egg white and mix in well. Strain mixture then add it gradually into flour mixture, stirring constantly to mix in. Cover and let rest in a warm place for several hours.

 

Add yeast sponge into flour mixture, kneading to combine. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 12 hours or until mixture has risen to resembles a bubbling sponge.

 

Line a large bamboo steamer with a layer of cheese cloth or muslin. Pour in the yeast and flour mixture. Cover steamer and cook over high heat for 25 minutes.

 

Cool slightly and cut into pieces to serve. 

SWEET DIM SUM: This pudding is one of the most popular sweet treats on the dim sum menu. It is easy to reproduce it at home.

WATER CHESTNUT PUDDING馬蹄糕:

 

 

 

2 ½ lbs. fresh or canned water chestnuts        

½ cup “tang” flour or wheat starch***

¾ cup corn starch                                           

1 2/3 cup sugar

4 ½ cups water                                    

3 eggs, beaten

1 tbsp. lard or vegetable shortening

 

***tang flour or “tang mein” 澄麵 is available at Chinese supermarkets***

 

 

 

If using fresh water chestnuts, peel them with a sharp knife. Divide water chestnuts into 2 portions. Coarsely chop one portion while grind the other portion in a food processor until very fine.  

 

In a large bowl, mix wheat starch and corn starch together. Add water and stir with wire whisk to mix well. Add in beaten eggs and both portions of water chestnuts, beating to mix ingredients well. Pour batter into saucepan and cook over low heat until it forms a paste.

 

Add in lard or shortening, stirring constantly to mix in; then pour batter into an 11-inch cake pan sitting in a large bamboo steamer. Fit steamer over a large pot of boiling water.

Cover and steam over high heat for 1 hour or until pudding is set. Remove and let cool.

 

Slice pudding into thick slices. Coat each slice with tapioca or corn starch; then pan-frying in skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides.  Serve hot.

SWEET DIM SUM: This is more a dessert served in Norther-style restaurants than a dim sum served at lunch time. Either way, you might enjoy making it at home.

RED BEAN PATTIES 豆沙窩餅:

 

 

 

 

1 ¼ cup all purpose flour                                            

2 eggs, beaten

1 ½ cups milk                                                             

8 oz. canned or home-made red bean paste, see posted recipe

cooking oil

 

 

 

Sift flour into a large bowl. Add in eggs and milk gradually, whisking with a wire-whisk and mixing into a smooth batter. Let stand 30 minutes.

 

Heat a large non-stick skillet until very hot and smear it with a little oil. Ladle batter into pan and rotate pan to spread out batter evenly, pouring off excess. Cook until browned on first side, then remove pancake to a dry work surface, browned-side downwards. Repeat with the rest of batter, making about 8 to 10 pancakes, reserving a small amount of batter.

 

Divide red bean paste equally between pan cakes, spreading each portion along the centre of each. Fold each pancake up from lower flap and sides and roll it into a long oblong shape. Dampen edges with a little reserved batter and seal the edges well.

 

In wok or deep saucepan, heat enough oil for deep frying over high heat until very hot. Deep-fry pancakes until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

 

Cut each pancake into portions to serve.

CHINESE DIM SUM: This delicious rice might not be served at dim sum lunch at restaurants any more, so it will a treat to your family if you can make it at home.

LOTUS RICE: 荷葉飯

 

 

 

 

5-6 cups cooked rice

2 large pieces lotus leaves, soaked and cleansed & dried

1/4 C dried shrimp, soaked

1/2 C each cooked small shrimp, BBQ pork and ham, diced

4- 5 dried mushrooms caps, soaked & diced

4-5 dried scallops, soaked, strands separated

1 tbsp. each ginger, shallot and green onions, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

seasoning:

    2 tbsp. light soy sauce

    1 tbsp. dark soy sauce

    2 tsp. oyster-flavoured sauce

    1 tsp sesame seed oil

    1/2 tsp. white pepper

 

 

 

In wok or large non-stick saucepan, heat 1 tbsp. oil over high heat until hot. Add in ginger, garlic, shallot and dried shrimp. Cook together for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in dried scallop, shrimp, BBQ pork and mushrooms. Cook quickly to heat through; then add in rice together with seasoning ingredients, tossing to mix well.

 

Lay 1 lotus leave on a clean work surface; then transfer rice mixture to it. Cover with the other piece of lotus leaf, trimming edges to fit; then wrap up into a roughly-square package. Transfer to a large bamboo steamer fitted over a large pot of boiling water. Cover with a lid and steam on medium-high heat for 20-30 minutes. Serve right away, sprinkled with chopped green onions.

SWEET DIM SUM: These nice snacks are easy to make. They will not fail to be crowd pleasers during family gatherings.

CRISPY EGG PASTRIES 蛋散:

 

 

 

 

1 ½ cups all purpose flour                                          

¼ tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. baking soda   

 

pinch of salt                                                 

1 tbsp. sugar

1 egg                                                                           

1/3 cup water

golden syrup to serve. optional                                                  

cooking oil for deep-frying

 

 

 

 

Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together into a large bowl. Add egg and sufficient water to mix into dough. Knead dough a few times; then set aside for 15 minutes.

 

On a flat working surface dusted with flour, roll dough out into a thin sheet. Trim edges and cut into 1-inch wide strips. Cut strips into rectangles of desirable lengths. Dampen 2 rectangles and stack them up together.  Make a sharp slit in the centre of each stack. Pull one end through the open slit to come out the other side as a twisted shape.

 

In wok or large saucepan, heat enough oil for deep-frying until very hot. Drop pastries into hot oil carefully and cook in batches. Deep-fry until crispy and golden.

 

Remove and drain on paper towels. Drizzle syrup over them to serve.

SWEET DIM SUM: New Year puddings are traditionally served as part of the Chinese new year celebration. But this delicious pudding can be enjoyed all the year round.

COCONUT NEW YEAR PUDDING 椰汁年糕:

 

 

 

 

4 ½ cups glutinous flour                                             

1 can--400ml. coconut milk

2 cups water                                                               

2 cups sugar

¼ cup lard or vegetable shortening                                                                 

1-2 eggs, beaten.

 

 

 

Bring water to a boil; then add in coconut milk, sugar and lard, stirring to dissolve sugar.

 

Pour water-milk mixture into flour in bowl, stirring well with a wooden spoon to make into smooth batter. Divide batter equally between 2 oiled 9-inch pie pan.

 

Place pie plates into 2 separate bamboo steamers and stack one steamer on top of another. Cover with lid and sit steamers over the rim of a large saucepan filled with boiling water. Steam for 1 ½ hours or until completely set, adding more boiling water into pan when necessary to maintain water level.

 

When pudding is cool, preferably overnight, cut each into strips, about ¼ -inch thick. Coat each strip with a layer of beaten egg and pan-fry until golden brown to serve.

SWEET DIM SUM: This is a simple and easy recipe to follow to prepare your own version of this popular and delicious dessert served at dim-sum time.

COCONUT CAKE 椰汁糕:

 

 

 

 

1 cup water                                                                 

5 oz. sugar

1 oz. unflavoured gelatine                                          

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup milk                                                                  

¾ cup egg whites

 

 

 

 

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add in sugar and cook over low heat, stirring continuously to dissolve sugar.  Remove from heat and cool it slightly before adding in gelatine. Return pan to low heat, stirring constantly to completely dissolve gelatine.

 

Add coconut milk and milk into gelatine mixture. Chill in refrigerator until half set, and the consistency of thick cream.

 

Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually fold in gelatine and milk mixture. Beat at low speed to mix thoroughly.

 

Pour mixture into a container lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate for several hours or until set and firm. Un-mould and cut into pieces to serve.

SWEET DIM SUM: Hope this delicious pudding will be well-worth the efforts put into making it at home.

BLACK SESAME PUDDING 芝麻糕:

 

 

 

 

1 ½ oz. black sesame seeds                                        

1 cup sugar

3 ½ cups water                                                

7 oz. rice flour

2 oz. water-chestnut flour                                           

½ tbsp. oil

 

 

 

Rinse and dry sesame seeds thoroughly. Toast in a dry saucepan over low heat until golden brown; then add into blender together with ¾ cup water. Blend until smooth. Strain into a bowl.

 

In a small saucepan, bring ¾ cup water to a boil and add sugar. Cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring well to dissolve sugar.

 

Sift rice flour and water-chestnut flour together into a bowl. Add in 2 cups water gradually, stirring well to mix into a batter. Strain batter and then add in the oil. Add sugar solution and sesame mixture into batter, stirring well to mix. Divide batter into 9 portions and put each portion into a separate bowl.

 

Grease an 8-inch square pan. Stir well one portion of batter and pour it into bottom of pan. Place pan in a bamboo steamer fitted over a large pot of boiling water. Cover steamer and cook 3 minutes or until set. Remove lid of steamer, stir and pour in a 2^nd portion of batter and steam for 3 minutes. Repeat this procedure until all the batter is used up. Cover steamer and cook pudding for 20 minutes more.

 

Remove from heat. Cool and un-mould pudding. Cut into pieces to serve.

SWEET DIM SUM: Red beans are used extensively in making Chinese soup sweets and desserts. If you can't find red bean puddings on the dim sum menu, you can easily reproduce them at home.

RED BEAN PUDDING 紅荳糕:

 

 

 

 

1 lb. red beans                                                            

1 lb. cane sugar bricks

8 cups water                                                               

3 cups rice flour

3 ½ cups water                                                

½ lard or vegetable shortening

 

 

 

Rinse red beans well and drain. Bring 8 cups water to a boil and add red beans. Bring water back to the boil, cover pot and cook beans over medium heat for about 1 hour or until beans are tender but not mushy. Add sugar and stir to dissolve over low heat.  Add lard or shortening, stirring to dissolve.

 

Sift flour into a large bowl. Add in 3 ½ cups water gradually, stirring and mixing with each addition, until a smooth batter is made. Gradually add batter into the bean mixture, stirring constantly to mix in well.

 

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and pour pudding into it. Place pan inside a large bamboo steamer fitted over a large pot of boiling water. Cover steamer and cook for 1 hour.

 

Remove pan from heat and un-mould pudding when slightly cooled. Slice into pieces to serve.

 

 

 

FLOURLESS RED BEAN CAKE:

 

 

1 ½ cups red beans                                                     

2 tbsp. unflavoured gelatine

6 tbsp. sugar                                                               

¾ cup sugar or to taste

1 ¾ cups boiling water                                    

1 tsp. baking soda

 

 

 

Toss red beans with baking soda in a bowl. Add in enough water to cover beans and let soak for 1 hour. Rinse beans well; then transfer to a saucepan with sufficient water to cover. Bring water to a boil, cover pan and cook beans at medium-low heat for ¾ to 1 hour, or until beans are tender but still firm and not mushy. Add in sugar to taste, stirring to dissolve. Drain beans into a bowl and cool.

 

Mix gelatine powder and sugar together in a bowl. Pour in boiling water, stirring and mixing constantly to dissolve gelatine and sugar. Continue stirring until gelatine is completely dissolved.

 

Pour ½ of gelatine mixture into a plastic box, roughly 5 ½ x 8 ½ -inch size, covering to a depth of about ¼- ½ -inch thickness. Put box in the freezer for about 20 minutes to set. Pour remaining gelatine mixture into red beans and mix in well.

 

When gelatine layer is set, take out from freezer and pour in half-set red bean/gelatin mixture, smoothing and levelling the top. Refrigerate 4-5 hours or until cake is completely firm and set.

 

Run a flat knife around cake to release it from the sides of the box and sit box in hot water for about 1 minute, shaking box slightly to release cake. Invert pan onto serving plate. Cut into slices to serve.