Shengjianbao (Shanghai Pan-Fried Soup Dumplings)

Ingredients

• 300ml chicken stock
• 2 tsp powdered gelatin
• 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
• 3 slices fresh ginger
• 300g minced pork (not too lean)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 300g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt, for the dough
• 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 150ml warm water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
• Toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onion, to garnish
• Black vinegar and shredded ginger, to serve

Before you cook

• Sprinkle the gelatin over 3 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl and leave it to bloom for 2 minutes.
• Bring the chicken stock to a simmer with the chopped spring onions and ginger slices, then simmer for 5 minutes.
• Strain the stock, discarding the aromatics, and stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot strained stock until dissolved.
• Pour the gelatin stock into a shallow dish and chill it for 1 hour, until firm and jiggly like a soft jelly.
• Combine the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl and stir in the warm water to form a dough.
• Knead the dough for 6 minutes until smooth, then cover it and let it rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes, until roughly doubled.

Steps

1. Chop the chilled stock jelly into small pea-sized cubes.
2. Mix the minced pork with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt, white pepper and grated ginger.
3. Stir the mixture vigorously in one direction for 2 minutes, until it turns sticky and pale.
4. Fold the chopped jelly cubes through the pork filling gently, keeping the pieces intact.
5. Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 16 equal pieces.
6. Roll each piece into a small disc about 8cm across, keeping the centre slightly thicker than the edges.
7. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each disc.
8. Gather the edges up around the filling and pleat them together, twisting to seal the top.
9. Arrange the dumplings sealed-side up in a lightly oiled non-stick pan, leaving space between them.
10. Cover the pan and let the dumplings rest for 15 minutes to puff slightly.
11. Heat the vegetable oil in the same pan over medium heat.
12. Fry the dumplings, uncovered, for 2 minutes, until the bottoms turn golden.
13. Pour in enough water to come a third of the way up the dumplings, then cover immediately.
14. Steam-fry the dumplings for 10 minutes, until the water has evaporated and you hear sizzling again.
15. Uncover and cook for 1 more minute to re-crisp the bottoms.
16. Scatter with sesame seeds and spring onion and serve straight from the pan with black vinegar and shredded ginger.