Fast street bags

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 6 Chinese mushrooms, dried (cloud ear mushrooms, Mu Err)
• 125 g king prawns, peeled, without intestines, finely chopped
• 250 g pork, finely chopped
• 6 shallots or spring onions, finely chopped
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 12 wonton wrappers

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Starter (Dim Sum) for the Dragon Menu

Soak the mushrooms in boiling water in a small bowl for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain and squeeze out any excess liquid. Cut the mushrooms apart, removing the tough stems. Finely chop the mushrooms, shrimp, pork, shallots or spring onions, and salt in a food processor. Place everything in a bowl and combine with oyster sauce, sesame oil, and starch. Mix thoroughly with wet hands. Spread the wonton wrappers out on a work surface and cover with a damp cloth. Place 2 teaspoons of the mixture onto each wrapper, fold the edges around to form a small basket, and gently push the filling up to reveal the top. Lightly flatten the base on the work surface. Set aside with cling film. Line a bamboo steamer with baking paper. Half fill a suitable pot with water and bring to a boil. Place the dumplings in the steamer basket, cover, and place over the simmering water. Steam the dumplings for 10 minutes, adding more water if needed. If you don’t have a steamer, you can also place the dumplings on a plate or colander and cook this in a wok or large pot with a lid, placed on an upturned cup over simmering water. Remove the dumplings from the steamer and serve warm with a drizzle of soy sauce or Chinkian vinegar.