虾饺蝦餃
xiā jiǎo haa1 gaau2
No yum cha trolley is complete without har gow — those plump, translucent crescents whose crystal skin glows pink with the whole shrimp curled inside. It is the quiet benchmark by which Cantonese tea houses are judged.
The story behind it
Har gow rose to fame in the tea houses around Guangzhou in the early 20th century, and quickly became a cornerstone of dim sum. Its signature see-through wrapper comes from wheat starch and tapioca starch scalded with boiling water — a gluten-free dough that turns glassy when steamed. Connoisseurs hold a fine har gow to a strict standard: a thin skin with the classic pleats (traditionally counted at seven or more) folded along one curved edge, and a juicy, springy filling that holds its shape.
Ingredients
- 200g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (half roughly chopped, half left in chunks)
- 100g wheat starch (澄粉)
- 30g tapioca starch
- about 160ml boiling water
- 1 tbsp lard or neutral oil (for the dough), plus a little for the filling
- 30g bamboo shoots, finely diced
- 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, pinch of white pepper
- 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp sesame oil (for the filling)
Steps
- Make the filling: pat the shrimp very dry, then mix with sugar, salt, white pepper, cornstarch, sesame oil and a little oil. Fold in the diced bamboo shoots and chill at least 30 minutes so it firms up.
- Make the dough: combine wheat starch and tapioca starch in a bowl, pour in the boiling water all at once while stirring vigorously, then cover and rest 2 minutes. Knead in the lard until smooth and elastic; keep covered so it stays warm and pliable.
- Roll the dough into a log, cut into small pieces, and press or roll each into a thin round about 8cm wide (an oiled flat blade or press works well on this sticky dough).
- Place a spoonful of filling in the center, then fold and pleat one edge over toward the other to form a crescent, sealing the top in a curved ridge of pleats.
- Steam over high heat in a lined bamboo or metal steamer for 6-8 minutes, until the wrappers turn translucent and the shrimp shows pink through the skin.
- Serve immediately while glossy and hot, on their own or with a little chili oil or soy.