Sheng Jian Bao (Chinese Pan-Fried Soup Dumplings)

About This Recipe

Sheng jian bao are a beloved Shanghai street food, their yeasted wrapper giving them a slightly breadier texture than boiled dumplings, and their crispy fried bottom setting them apart from steamed soup dumplings (xiao long bao). The filling includes a cube of savory pork and aspic (a jellied stock made with pork skin or gelatin), which melts into liquid as the dumplings cook, creating the burst of hot broth that makes the first bite of a good sheng jian bao so memorable. Cooked in a covered pan with a splash of water that steams the tops while the bottoms fry directly against the hot metal, sheng jian bao emerge with a deeply golden, crackling crust on one side and a soft, pillowy top, finished with a scatter of sesame seeds and scallions.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2.5 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 tspinstant yeast
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 cupwarm water
• 300 gground pork
• 1 cuppork or chicken stock(for aspic)
• 2 tsppowdered gelatin(for aspic)
• 2scallions(finely chopped, for filling)
• 1 tbspfresh ginger(minced, for filling)
• 2 tbspsoy sauce(for filling)
• 1 tspsesame oil(for filling)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil(for frying)
• 1/2 cupwater(for steaming)
• 1 tbsptoasted sesame seeds(for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the aspic

   Bloom gelatin in a bit of the cold stock, then warm the remaining stock and stir in the bloomed gelatin until dissolved; refrigerate until firm, then chop into small cubes.

2. 2

   Make the dough

   Combine flour, yeast, sugar and warm water into a soft dough; knead 8 minutes, then let rise 45 minutes until nearly doubled.

3. 3

   Make the filling

   Mix ground pork with scallions, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil, then fold in the chopped aspic cubes.

   Keep the aspic cubes cold and work quickly when filling — if they melt before the dumplings are sealed, the filling becomes too loose to wrap properly.

4. 4

   Shape the dumplings

   Divide the dough into small pieces, roll each into a small round, fill with a spoonful of the pork mixture, and pleat closed at the top.

5. 5

   Rest briefly

   Let the shaped dumplings rest, covered, for 15 minutes.

6. 6

   Pan-fry

   Heat oil in a nonstick skillet, arrange the dumplings seam-side up, and fry the bottoms for 2-3 minutes until golden.

7. 7

   Steam

   Add water to the pan, cover immediately, and steam 8-10 minutes until the water evaporates and the dumplings are cooked through, then uncover and let the bottoms crisp further for 1-2 minutes.

8. 8

   Serve

   Scatter with sesame seeds and scallions, and serve hot, careful of the hot broth inside.

Variations

• •

  A version filled with shrimp alongside pork adds extra sweetness and texture.

• •

  Some versions use a slightly sweeter dough, closer to a bao bun, for a softer overall texture.

• •

  A vegetarian version fills the dumplings with mushrooms and a vegetable-based aspic.

Storage

Uncooked shaped dumplings freeze well; pan-fry directly from frozen, extending the steaming time slightly. Cooked dumplings are best eaten fresh, as reheating can compromise the crisp bottom.

Frequently Asked Questions