Har-go

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. baking soda
• 450 g small shrimp (51/60), peeled, deveined
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon chicken broth powder
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/3 cup + 2 tsp tapioca starch
• 1 tsp. dark sesame oil
• 2 tbsp lard or neutral vegetable oil
• 1 and 1/4 cups wheat starch + extra for sprinkling
• Special equipment: a bamboo or metal steaming basket (25 cm), lined with perforated parchment paper

Preparation:

1. Pour 6 cups of cold water into a large bowl and stir in baking soda until completely dissolved. Place the shrimp in the bowl, gently massage them in the baking soda and water, and soak for 30 minutes.
2. Drain the shrimp, rinse them under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Finely chop 1/4 cup shrimp to a paste-like consistency and place in a large bowl. Roughly chop the remaining shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces and place in the same bowl. Add the sugar, chicken powder, white pepper, 2 teaspoons tapioca starch, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir in one direction until streaks appear on the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. Mix the dark sesame oil with 1 tablespoon lard until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan.
5. Meanwhile, sift the wheat starch and the remaining 1/3 cup tapioca starch into a large bowl. Add 0.5 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water until completely dissolved, then slowly pour in the wheat starch mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or chopsticks. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of lard and knead into a smooth dough.
6. Lightly dust a work surface with wheat starch and turn the dough out onto it. Knead the dough until smooth. Divide in half and roll each piece into a 15-inch-long rope. Cut each rope of dough into 1-inch-long pieces and cover with a damp paper towel or lint-free kitchen towel. Working with one piece of dough at a time, dust it with a little wheat starch, flatten it into a 2-inch-diameter circle, and then roll it out thinly, leaving the edges thinner than the center.
7. Place a circle of dough in front of you and spoon a spoonful of shrimp filling into the center. Starting at the right edge of the circle at the 3 o'clock position, make small counterclockwise folds along the edge until you reach the 9 o'clock position (goal: 8 folds for luck). Fold the edge of the dough closest to you over and pin it to the inside edge of the folds to close the opening. Pinch to seal and press lightly to thin the edges. Place the dumpling on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling. At this point, you can freeze the dumplings.
   
   
   To freeze har gow, place them on a tray in a single layer, making sure they're not touching, and freeze. Transfer the frozen har gow to a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
8. Fill a 12-inch (30-cm) frying pan or wok with about 2 inches of water and place a bamboo or metal steamer basket inside. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the basket. If it does, drain some of the water. Bring the water to a boil, line the steamer basket with perforated parchment paper, and place 10 dumplings in the basket, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Cover and steam until the filling is bright orange and the dough is translucent, 6–8 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute and serve.