Much of the fun of dim sum comes from the parade of one delicious dish after another past your table. But many of these favorites really can be made at home. Choose one as a weekend project, or put together several for a full-blown dim sum meal.
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Recipe
Chive Scallops with Chinese Sausage
In Chinese tradition, scallops, whose shells look like money, represent good fortune, so they’re auspicious to serve for the Lunar New Year. Ask your fishmonger for scallops that are similar in size so that they cook in the same amount of time. Chinese sausage (lop chong) looks like skinny salami and is sold in the refrigerator section of most Asian markets. -
Recipe
Chinese Pork and Shrimp Dumplings (Jiao Zi)
A savory pork, shrimp and salted cabbage filling, seasoned with ginger, garlic and scallions, is the most traditional filling for jiao zi. Butcher counters in Asian markets often offer several grinds of pork. For dumplings, use a coarser grind with more fat to ensure a tender, juicy filling. -
Recipe
Chinese Rose Wine Shrimp Soup
The Chinese name for this soup is chiew tong, or wine soup. The “wine” used is actually a potent sorghum-based spirit (mei kuei lu chiew, or rose wine) flavored with rose petals and rock sugar. A floral gin, such as Hendrick’s, is a suitable substitute.
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Recipe
Shanghai Scallion Pancakes
These pan-fried flatbreads are crisp outside, slightly flaky inside, and rich with the flavor of scallions, cilantro, and sesame. Also called Shanghai onion bread, they’re very delicious, and very addictive.
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Recipe
Steamed Pork Buns
地道的中国蒸猪肉包子点心classic. Watch the video for Eileen's step-by-step demonstration of how to make the dough, the filling, and how to shape the buns.
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Recipe
Classic Chinese Sesame Noodles
If you think you’ve tasted great sesame noodles, think again. Toasted sesame paste gives these an incredibly deep, nutty flavor, while homemade hot pepper oil adds gentle spicy heat. A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce can be used instead, if you like.
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Recipe
Dim Sum Shrimp and Pork Meatballs with Sesame-Ginger Sauce
These meatballs echo the juicy filling in dim sum dumplings. Fattier ground pork will make for more tender meatballs, so ask your butcher to grind it fresh from the shoulder. To make them a meal, serve with stir-fried vegetables and brown rice.
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Recipe
Chile-Butter Lobster Bao
The heaping, meal-size classic lobster roll is reimagined here as a two-bite nibble, inspired by fluffy Chinese-style buns, or bao.The lobster is steamed partway and then poached in butter, making it that much more rich and luscious. A combination of red Thai chiles and Sriracha, a Southeast Asian-style chili-garlic sauce, gives the lobster a dose of mild heat and bright flavor.
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Recipe
Egg Drop Soup with Crab, Baby Corn, and Peas
This Chinese restaurant mainstay becomes a light and lovely supper with the addition of crab, baby corn, and peas. -
Recipe
Steamed Vegetable Dumplings
The delicately flavored mushroom, celery, and bok choy filling is well-suited to the steam-cooking method, which produces tender dumplings known as cheng jiao in Mandarin.