Har Gow (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings)

Har gow is the dumpling every dim sum cook measures themselves by, the pleated shrimp dumpling that arrives on the cart with a translucent wrapper you can almost see through. The craft comes from the wheat starch dough, which steams up glassy and tender, and from the pleats — traditionally eleven to thirteen of them, folded by hand. Getting the fold right takes practice, but the filling forgives you the first few tries, and the second batch always looks better than the first.

Glassy wrappers, bouncy shrimp

A proper har gow wrapper is thin, almost translucent, and slightly chewy, giving way to a filling of chopped shrimp that is juicy and springy rather than pasty. Keep the shrimp coarsely chopped and barely seasoned so the sweet shellfish flavor stays loud. They are best eaten the moment they leave the steamer, with a dip of soy and a whisper of chili oil, before the wrappers have time to cool and firm up.

Craving more? Explore all Cantonese Kitchen recipes.

This dish leans on the condiments covered in Beginner’s Guide to Asian Sauces & Seasonings.

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