Har Gau

If you have learnt the knack of crimping won tons don't be afraid of these.

INGREDIENTS

(Makes 50-60)

For the dough

150g wheat starch
80g fecule (potato flour)
250ml boiling water
extra fecule for kneading

For the filling

250g minced shoulder of pork or chicken breast
250g prawns (eg tiger prawns) raw and chopped
150g vegetables(eg water chestnuts bamboo shoots) diced
2tsp salt
2tsp sugar
1tsp sesame oil
2tbs cornflour
1 beaten egg
oil

Special equipment

You have to use a lightish Chinese cleaver for this. Also have ready a folded and lightly oiled towel

METHOD

Sift the wheat starch and fecule into a bowl. Gradually pour in the boiling water and beat to form a softish dough. Sprinkle fecule over a work surface put the dough on top of it and knead for about 10 minutes to obtain a perfectly smooth dough. Cover and set aside until needed.

Mix the pork prawns and vegetables together. Combine the salt sugar sesame oil cornflour and egg. Blend thoroughly with the prawn mix.

Divide the dough into four pieces and roll out to form four thin sausages roughly 2cm in diameter.

Cut off a piece about 2cm long and roughly flatten. Rub the cleaver across the oiled towel.

Using the oiled flat of the blade flatten the piece of dough so that it forms a round wafer-thin wrapper. Run the blade under it and put to one side. Prepare about six wrappers at a time and then fill them.

To fill spoon about a teaspoon of filling into the middle of each wrapper.

Hold the dumpling in one hand and shape it around the fill. Seal it across the top by making a series of pleats across the top.

Place them in a lightly oiled steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes.