'The Road Home' Dim Sum Recipes & Photos

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

1 can water chestnuts (about 2 dozen)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
8 slices bacon, cut in thirds
24 toothpicks

Drain and rinse the water chestnuts. Toss in soy sauce and marinate for 2 hours, or overnight. Drain off the soy sauce and sprinkle water chestnuts with brown sugar. Wrap a piece of cut bacon around each water chestnut and skewer with a toothpick.Place the water chestnuts on a foil-lined baking sheet, and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until bacon is browned.

Siu Mai Dumplings

1/4 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and finely chopped
1/4 lb ground pork
3 fresh mushrooms (Chinese, shitake, etc.)
1 green onion
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
20 small circular dumpling wrappers

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with warm water, fold the wrapper into a half-moon shape or into a pleated pouch, and pinch the edges to seal. Steam over boiling water until the dumplings and filling are completely done (about 10 minutes). Serve with dipping sauce.

Siu Mai Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 tsp chili oil
1 clove finely minced garlic
1 tsp finely minced ginger

Combine all ingredients and let stand for 1 hour to marry flavors.

Shrimp Toast

3/4 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined, and minced into a fine paste
4 water chestnuts, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp cornstarch

10 slices sourdough bread, crusts removed
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Mix all ingredients (except bread and oil) to form a fine paste. Cut each slice of bread in half diagonally. Using a tablespoon, spread the shrimp paste evenly over the surface of each bread triangle and press with the flat side of a cleaver or spatula to ensure that the shrimp paste sticks firmly to the bread. Heat the oil for deep-frying to 375 degrees. Quickly fry the shrimp toast, turning once, until browned on both sides. Remove promptly from the oil and drain excess oil on several layers of paper towels. Serve hot.

Fried Wontons

1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined and finely chopped
3 water chestnuts, finely chopped
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1/2 tsp sesame oil

24 Mini wonton wrappers
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Combine all ingredients (except wonton wrappers and oil) to form a finely minced filling. Place each wonton wrapper point down (in a diamond shape) and place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Fold the lower point of the wrapper over the filling, and fold upwards once more to the halfway point to enclose the filling in the wrapper, leaving the left, right and upper points of the wrapper free. Moisten the righthand point of the wrapper with warm water. Pull both the left and right points together around the filling, placing one over the other and pinch to secure. The upper point of the wrapper will curl up toward the filling, forming a navel-shaped wonton dumpling. Heat the oil to 375 and quickly fry the wontons 3 or 4 at a time, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Remove promptly from the oil and drain on layers of paper towels. Serve with Sweet & Sour Sauce.

Basic Sweet & Sour Sauce

1/3 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until thickened, stirring constantly. Allow to cool.

Foil Wrapped Chicken

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 48 uniform strips.
3 fresh mushrooms (shitake, Chinese, etc.)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tsp finely grated ginger root
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

24 6-inch squares of aluminum foil

Combine all ingredients, add the chicken strips, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or overnight. Place 2 strips of marinated chicken, along with a little of the marinade, on each 6" sheet of foil. Fold each sheet of foil to enclose the chicken in an envelope-shaped packet. Place the foil packets on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Spring Rolls

1/2 lb ground pork
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 medium carrot, finely grated
4 water chestnuts, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 cup Napa cabbage, finely shredded
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine
2 tsp sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch

12 Spring roll wrappers
Vegetable Oil for deep-frying

Heat the sesame oil in a wok. Add ground pork and stir fry until done, about 5 minutes. Add ginger, cabbage, celery, carrot, onions, and water chestnuts and stir-fry until tender, about 5 minutes. Add oyster sauce, rice wine, and corn starch, and simmer until liquid is thickened. Allow the filling to cool.

Place each wrapper point down, in a diamond shape. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling across the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom point upward around the filling. Fold in the left and right points toward the center to enclose the ends, and roll snugly toward the upper point. Moisten the upper point with warm water and press to seal.

Heat the oil in a wok to 375 degrees. Deep-fry the spring rolls two or three at a time, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Remove promptly and drain on layers of paper towels. Serve hot with Chinese Mustard and Sweet & Sour Sauce.

Basic Sweet & Sour Sauce

1/3 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until thickened, stirring constantly. Allow to cool.

To prepare Chinese Mustard, mix equal parts of dry Chinese mustard with water.

Barbecued Pork Spareribs

4 strips of pork spareribs, cut into 2" pieces (about 2 lbs.)

2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp ginger root, finely grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Place the spareribs in a deep glass bowl. Add the marinade ingredients, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or overnight, stirring occasionally to thoroughly coat. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the spareribs on it, leaving a little space between each piece. Save the marinade to make the sauce. Roast the spareribs for about 50 minutes, until just browned.

To make the sauce, pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickend. Add a little water if needed to bring the sauce to the right consistency.

Pork-Filled Buns

2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 pound ground pork
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Bun Dough

1 package dry active yeast
1 T sugar
1/4 cup warm water
3 to 4 cups flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup warm milk
2 eggs 1/2 tsp salt

Combine yeast, warm water and sugar and let stand 5 minutes. Add warm milk, melted butter, salt and eggs and mix thoroughly. Add mixture to 3 cups of flour and stir vigorously with a fork to form a ball. Turn onto a floured board and knead for 5 to 10 minutes until dough is soft and elastic, adding more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Form into a ball and place into a greased bowl. Allow to rest in a warm spot until dough ball doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Heat the sesame oil in a wok and stir fry the pork until done, about 5 minutes. Add onions, garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce and cornstarch and stir to thoroughly mix. Simmer until all ingredients are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened. Allow to cool.

Punch down the dough and knead for about 2 minutes. Divide into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece into a 4 inch disk. Place 1 tbsp of the filling in the center of each disk and fold the edges toward the center to form a bun. Place seam side down on a foil lined baking sheet, and allow to rise for 20 to 30 minutes. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 375, or until puffy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with remaining melted butter.

Crispy Duck with Orange Sauce

4 boneless duck breasts or thighs

1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tsp cornstarch

To prepare the sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Allow to cool.

Rinse the duck pieces and pat dry. Using a metal skewer, pierce the skin of each piece in several places at a horizontal angle, being careful not to pierce the meat. Fold the edges of the skin around the meat and place skin side up on a wire rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until meat reaches desired doneness, from medium rare to medium well, depending on individual preference. For crispy skin, remove from the oven and place in the broiler for about 5 minutes, checking frequently to avoid burning. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and slice into thin strips.