Question:

Dim Sum

Spring Roll Filling

Homemade spring rolls are surprisingly simple to make and they TASTE delicious.
3/8 cup peanut oil
2 cups bean sprouts
12 green onions -- thinly shredded
2 cups carrots -- julienned
4 cups mushrooms -- thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic -- finely chopped
2 cakes tofu -- finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chinese five spice powder
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 quarts vegetable oil -- for frying

1. To make the filling, in a wok heat peanut oil and stir fry vegetables, garlic, and tofu about 1 minute.

2. Add five spice powder, soy sauce and salt and continue to cook for 2 minutes.

3. Cool and then use to fill wrappers.

4. In a deep fryer or deep frying pan, bring at least 2 inches of peanut oil to 350 degrees; add spring rolls - max 4 at a time, and cook until golden.

NOTES : To make ahead: deep fry spring rolls until golden brown. Flash freeze and store up to 8 weeks. To reheat; bake from frozen at 350 degrees about 30 minutes.

Chinese New Year Menu

This Menu is designed to serve 20 people with all of the items below being prepared. You'll need to increase amounts per dish if you wish to prepare less items.

The timing & last minute prep notes show when to start the actual cooking/final heating if you wish to serve at the times I've indicated below. This can of course be adjusted to suit your specific serving time.
These notes assume that all cutting, slicing, dicing has been completed and that ALL sauces have been measured out and made ahead of time. This is essential if you wish to get all of this done on time.

Appetizers: Serve at 5:15p.m.

Hot Sour Soup - prepare early in the day, re-heat at 4:30 and keep warm in crockpot
Spring Rolls (30 pieces) - make ahead/deep fry and freeze - place in oven to bake at 350 when 1st guest arrives
Shrimp Toast (40 pieces) - Make filling 1 day ahead; spread onto toast a few hours ahead; fry 8 minutes per 20 - start when 1st guest arrive
Har Gau(40 pieces) - Make ahead/freeze - steam from frozen 10 minutes per 20 - start when 1st guests arrive
Shiu Mai (40 pieces)- Make ahead/freeze - steam from frozen 10 minutes per 20 - start when 1st guests arrive

Main Course: Serve at 5:45

BBQ Pork - marinate over night - roast in oven 1 hour starting at 4:30
Green Fried Rice - prepare in wok - start at 5:00 place in oven at 5:10
Mussels with Chiles - prepare in wok - start at 5:10 place in oven at 5:20
General Tso's Chicken - second frying in Wok at 5:20 - hold in oven until serving
Sweet & Sour Vegetables - prepare in Wok #2 at 5:30 - serve immediately
Spicy Mandarin Noodles - prepare in Wok #3 at 5:30 - serve immediately

Shrimp Toast

These are so delicious that you could make triple the recipe and not have enough. Make sure to drain them well and serve them hot!
1 pound shrimp
4 ounces pork fat (yes really)
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
10 slices white bread
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
3 quarts oil -- for deep-frying
-----Peppersalt -----
1/4 cup Szechuan Peppercorns
1/4 cup Salt

1. Shell and devein shrimp. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Flatten each shrimp with the broad side of a cleaver to make chopping easier. Use cleaver to finely chop shrimp and pork fat.

2. Combine chopped pork fat and shrimp; chop to a fine paste. Place shrimp paste in a medium bowl.

3. Use a spoon or your hands to mix shirmp paste with egg white, wine, salt, ginger root and cornstarch; set aside.

4. Remove crusts from bread. Cut each slice into 4 squares. Mound 1 rounded teaspoon shrimp paste on each square of bread and press gently. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

5. Heat 6 cups oil in a wok over high to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Reduce heat to medium. Carefully lower bread squares shrimp-side down into hot oil with a slotted metal spoon.

6. Deep-fry 4 or 5 at a time until edges of bread turn golden, about 1 minute. Turn each bread and cook other
side 30 seconds. Watch carefully! Remove from oil with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining bread squares.

7. Sprinkle with Pepper salt and serve hot.

Peppersalt
1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat 1 minute. Add peppercorns and stir-fry 5 minutes.

2. Remove saucepan from heat and let cool. Grind peppercorns into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle or pepper grinder.

3. Add salt; mix well. Store in a tightly covered container. Makes about 1/4 cup.

Pork & Shrimp Dumplings

A very popular item on the dim sum cart, these steamed pork & shrimp dumplings also called Siu Mai are a great make ahead item.

2 pounds ground pork
2/3 pound raw shrimp, ground
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/3 tablespoons chinese rice wine
1 1/3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 teaspoon pepper
2 2/3 egg white
1/4 cup cornstarch
80 dumpling skins

1. Mix together ground pork, ground shrimp, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, pepper and egg white until mixture is well blended.

2. With your hands mix in the cornstarch until the meat is a but "pasty".

3. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of a wonton skin. Place the skin in the palm of your hand and gently close to gather the edges of the wonton skin around the meat filling.
The top of the dumpling will remain uncovered.

5. Dip a teaspoon in water and use to smooth the surface of the meat.

6. Garnish by placing a frozen green pea or a dot of red food coloring on top of each dumpling.

7. Line a steamer with a damp cloth or lettuce leaves and steam over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove and serve.

If making these ahead, place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and flash freeze until solid. Remove and store in a freezer bag for up to 6 weeks.
To cook; steam from frozen as above, increasing time to 20 minutes.

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, also known as Har Gau are one of my favorite offerings for Dim Sum.

This recipe makes 40 dumplings which will serve 20 people as part of a Chinese meal.

1 pound shrimp, ground in food processor
1 cup bamboo shoots, chopped
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine
2/3 teaspoon sugar
2/3 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/3 dashes pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
40 Wonton or dumpling wrappers

1. To make filling: Mix together all ingredients except cornstarch until the mixture is well blended and smooth.

2. Stir in cornstarch and mix well.

3. Place 1 Tablespoon of shrimp filling into the center of each wonton wrapper. Fold over into a triangle shape or half moon depending on the shape of your wrapper.
Seal with water.

4. Line a steamer with a damp cloth. Set the dumplings about 1 inch apart. Steam over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove and serve.

To make these ahead, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and flash freeze dumplings. Once frozen place in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Steam as above from frozen for about 10-15 minutes.

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