These Fish Siu Mai remind me of the wonderful dumplings you can find on Hong Kong's streets. They're tender and bouncy and a lot easier to make than you think.
🥡 About This Recipe
Fish Siumai (or Fish Shumai) is made from fish paste! I first had them on my Hong Kong trip in 2019. A small stall was pumping out giant baskets filled with them, and there was a huge line, so I knew I had to try it.
They're very similar to pork siu mai, but the filling is made with fish paste, and it's a lot less meaty tasting. It's similar to Hong Kong fish balls if you've ever had that.
I got a glimpse of how they made it, and it was quite interesting! The fish paste is made from fresh fish that was chopped up and then tossed in a giant stand mixer. I'm not sure exactly how long they mixed it for, but I assume it was a long time, as the texture appeared quite sticky when I saw it.
I've tested this recipe several times, and I'm finally happy with the result! It tastes similar to the ones I had, and the texture is nice and bouncy. Give it a try!
🧂 Ingredients
- Siu Mai Wrappers: These are very similar to wonton wrappers but are made with egg yolks. If you can't find them, you can just use regular wonton wrappers.
- Fish Fillets: In my testing, basa fish fillets turned out the best. The texture was smooth, and the flavor wasn't too fishy. Pollock is usually recommended for fish balls, but I found the texture was kind of "hairy?" for lack of a better word; however, it's possible that I didn't blend it long enough the first time I made it.
- Shrimp: This is optional, but it adds a really nice flavor, and it improves the bounciness.
- Egg White: Most fish ball recipes include this, and I've found it helps with blending and makes the texture bouncier.
- Scallion whites: These add a terrific flavor to the fish siu mai. I saw a popular brand of fish siu mai at my local Asian grocery store, and they had scallion whites listed as an ingredient.
- Seasonings: Soy sauce, freshly cracked white pepper, toasted sesame oil, and sugar.
- Cornstarch: For thickening the fish paste.
🔪 Instructions
STEP 1: Combine fish fillets, shrimp, egg white, scallion whites, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and white pepper in a food processor, and blend for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thick and smooth.
Blending for a long time is important for giving the fish paste a sticky texture (which translates to a bouncier texture when steamed). 3-4 minutes at least, and feel free to go even longer if you have time.
If you don't have a food processor, use a knife to mince the fish and shrimp, and then use your hands to slap the mixture around in a bowl for 10-15 minutes.
STEP 3: Wrap the siu mai. This is an easy wrapping technique that I saw from Nagi on Recipetineats. The instructions below are more or less paraphrased from her blog.
- Form an "O" with your index finger and thumb as if you're making an OK hand signal.
- Place a wonton wrapper over the "O."
- Add 1 heaping teaspoon of filling, and push it down into the center of the "O" hole.
- Use a butter knife to spread more filling until it's level with the edge of the wonton.
- Transfer the dumpling to your work surface, then press down to flatten the base. Use your fingers to shape it into a round.
STEP 4: Arrange the siu mai in a parchment-lined steamer basket and steam on high heat for 8 minutes. Enjoy! You can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
My favorite way to eat these is with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce and chili oil. I recently started adding a bit of Worcestershire sauce to my dipping sauces, and it tastes really good! Highly recommend it.
📋 Recipe
Fish Siu Mai
Ingredients
- 13 ounces fish fillets (basa, tilapia, dace, or white polluck)
- 3 ounces shrimp (about 6 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined)
- 1 large egg white
- 3 scallion whites
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- siu mai wrappers or wonton wrappers
Instructions
Filling
- Combine all the ingredients (except wonton wrappers) in a food processor and blend for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thick and smooth*. If you don't have a food processor, use a knife to mince the fish and shrimp until it reaches a paste-like consistency.
Wrapping
- Form an "O" with your index finger and thumb as if you're making an OK hand signal. Create a funnel shape with your other fingers.
- Place a wonton wrapper over the "O."
- Add 1 heaping teaspoon of filling, and push it down into the center of the "O" hole.
- Use a butter knife to spread more filling until it's level with the edge of the wonton.
- Transfer the dumpling to your work surface, then press down to flatten the base. Use your fingers to shape it into a round.
Steaming
- Arrange the siu mai in a parchment-lined steamer basket and steam on high heat for 8 minutes. Enjoy!
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