小籠包 Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings)- made HALAL!
this is our actual FAVOURITE dim sum item tbh
this has been a long time coming…
recently, we had the honour to be taught by a Chinese master chef (shi fu) to make our personal favourite dim sum item - Xiao Long Bao or soup dumplings.
it’s tough finding halal or non-pork versions of XLB in Singapore, with only a handful of food establishments serving them - partly due to how laborious it takes to prepare. however, we were lucky that Master Pang, a chef instructor who has been a chef instructor and cookbook author for more than 30 years, was as excited as we are to share her knowledge of making these juicy and delectable dumplings.
while originally made with pork and pig derivatives - Master Pang tried and tested this particular recipe using chicken parts, which form the aspic (jelly) and the minced meat filling.
the signature of Xiao Long Bao, in essence, lies in the ‘soup’ element interspersed within the filling, which comes form the aspic which eventually melts into this flavourful soup. conventional XLB includes cooking collagen-rich pork bones for hours, causing the extraction of gelatine which then forms the jelly structure of the aspic. as a substitute, Master Pang uses chicken bones, feet and skin along with powdered halal gelatin to fortify it.
she also uses shortening for create a chewy yet soft dumpling skin, in place of pork lard.
while the steps might be daunting, the work put into making these morsels of goodness pays off with every single juicy bite. we recommend setting aside 2 days for the whole process and also taking some time to practice on rolling and crimping the dumplings.
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Chicken Xiao Long Bao (小籠包)
(serves 4-6)
chicken aspic
600g chicken feet, cleaned well
200g chicken skin (with fat), cleaned
500g chicken bones, cleaned
50g old ginger, roughly sliced
100g spring onion, cut to 2 inches
3 litres water + extra for blanching
1 tbsp gelatin powder + 3 tbsp water
filling
500g minced chicken
30g ginger powder
5 stalks spring onion, sliced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp white pepper
dumpling skin
200g hong kong flour
100g bread flour
25g shortening (we use Crisco)
140ml water
dipping sauce
50g chopped thin
5 tbsp black vinegar
directions
making the aspic
start with making the aspic a day before - the preparation takes time. in a pot, boil water. when the water is boiling, add the the chicken feet, skin and bones and let it simmer for 5 minutes. remove from heat and discard the murky water. rinsed the chicken parts well and return to a clean pot.
combine the ginger, spring onion and 3l water and bring up to a simmer. cover the pot and let it simmer for 3 hours on a low flame. discard all the solids by passing it through a strainer into a bowl. return the stock to the pot.
in a bowl, dissolve gelatin powder with water and let it sit for 5 minutes. pour into the stock and stir under low heat until gelatin are fully dissolved.
pour the warm stock into a large tray and keep in the refrigerator overnight until it sets into a jelly.
flip the cold jelly onto a cutting board and cut into rough cubes.
preparing filling
in a bowl, mix together ALL the filling ingredients until well combined. then, using your hand, vigorously whip the filling for 2 minutes. this makes the filling adhere and gives it a bouncy texture. then, fold in the cubed aspic jelly until well dispersed. set the filling aside in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
making the dumpling skin
in a a bowl, whisk together the flours. add the shortening and using your hands, rub it in the flour evenly until the flour mixture represents breadcrumbs. bit by bit, add the water until it all comes together into a soft but pliable dough.
cling wrap the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
crafting the Xiao Long Bao
assemble all the components onto a table beside a clean work surface.
take a ping pong-ball sized piece of the dough and roll it into a disk, with the edges thinner than the centre. place the sheet on your hand and fill it up with the chicken filling. crimp the top to close it shut. repeat until the dough finishes
place the wrapped dumplings onto a steamer rack lined with steamer paper or muslin cloth on top of hot water. steam the dumplingss for 20 minutes.
serve the dumplings HOT with a combination of sliced ginger and vinegar on the side.