• 6 dried chinese black mushrooms
  • sherry
  • 1 ½ tsp light soy sauce
  • 6 oz shrimp, shelled & deveined
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
  • 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh
  • 6 oz ground pork butt
  • coriander leaves
  • 1/4 cup finely diced bamboo shoots
  • 1 oil
  • 1/4 cup finely diced water chestnuts
  • wheat starch wrappers (see recipe)
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • light soy sauce, for dipping
  • chinese mustard, for dipping
  • 1 tbsp shao hsing rice wine or dry white wine

To make steamed translucent dumplings, roll out the wheat starch wrappers as thinly as possible. if you don’t do this they’ll come out rubbery. Cover mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes or until soft and pliable.

Remove and squeeze out excess water from the mushrooms. Cut off the stems at the base and discard them. Finely mince the caps. Toss the shrimp with salt and let them stand for 10 minutes. Rinse well with cold water, pat dry thoroughly. Next, coarsely mince.

Preheat a wok or skillet and when hot, add the peanut oil. Now, over a medium- high heat, add the mushrooms, shrimps, pork butt, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and half of the green onions. Stir-fry until the pork meat turns white. Season with the sugar, white pepper, wine and soy sauce.

Combine the cornstarch and chicken stock in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Pour into wok. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Remove the mixture to a shallow plate and mix in the remaining green onion and coriander. Allow the filling to cool, then refrigerate it until needed. This will make almost 2 cups of filling.

Prepare the wheat starch wrapper dough. Pinch off 1-inch balls of dough. Lightly oil the ball and flatten it into a thin 3 1/2-inch circle. An oiled Chinese cleaver is traditionally used but a tortilla press or a rolling pin works just as well. Put 1 large teaspoon of filling in the center of the circle. Fold it in half and pinch the edges to seal the filling inside.

Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Place dumplings without touching each other on a lightly oiled bamboo steamer (or a heat resistant plate). Steam over boiling water for 3 minutes. Serve these steamed translucent dumplings with a light soy sauce and Chinese mustard for dipping.

Makes around 30 dumplings and can be prepared in advance and reheated a few minutes before serving.