Silky Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls with Shrimp
鮮蝦腸粉·(sin haa cheung fun)
Chapter 1: The Wrappers & Doughs
The bamboo steamer sits flush against the wok rim. True Cheung Fun achieves translucent perfection, rendering the internet hacks using reconstituted rice paper a tragic insult, as the craft demands a precise alchemy of rice flour, tapioca starch, and wheat starches hitting the blistering heat of a flat metal pan where the batter hisses. Your first roll will inevitably tear into a crumpled mess rather than yielding to the definitive snap of alkaline-treated shrimp, but here is the exact ratio of flour to starch that makes the folds hold.
Before you start
Bathe the shrimp in alkaline to guarantee the teahouse snap.
Toss the peeled and deveined shrimp with the baking soda and kosher salt in a bowl. Leave them completely alone at room temperature for exactly fifteen minutes to alter their protein structure.
Purge the baking soda entirely under cold running water.
Transfer the shrimp to a colander and rinse vigorously for a full minute, rubbing them to remove all traces of baking soda. Pat them obsessively dry with paper towels.
Marinate and refrigerate the shrimp.
Massage the egg white, tapioca starch, white pepper, and sesame oil into the dried shrimp. Cover and stash in the fridge for at least thirty minutes.
Brew the sweet soy sauce.
Heat the peanut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sizzle the smashed scallions, ginger, and cilantro stems for three minutes until blistered and fragrant. Pour in the water, light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, and rock sugar. Simmer for five minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve and let cool.
Formulate and hydrate the batter.
In a large bowl, aggressively whisk the rice flour, tapioca starch, wheat starch, salt, neutral cooking oil, and room-temperature water until absolutely no lumps remain. Let it rest at room temperature for at least thirty minutes so the starches fully hydrate.
Ingredients
- medium raw shrimp8 oz
- baking soda1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- egg white1 tbsp
- tapioca starch1 tsp
- toasted sesame oil1/2 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- scallion1 med
- peanut oil1 tbsp
- scallions2 med
- fresh cilantro3 small
- fresh ginger2 med
- water1/4 cup
- light soy sauce3 tbsp
- dark soy sauce1 tbsp
- oyster sauce1 tbsp
- crushed rock sugar2 tbsp
- fine rice flour1 cup
- tapioca starch1/4 cup
- wheat starch2 tbsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
- water2 1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Prepare your steaming rig and bring the water to a violent boil.
Place a metal steaming rack in the center of a large wok, fill with enough water to sit just below the rack, cover tightly, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- 02
Preheat the empty stainless steel tray until it is blistering hot.
Set a clean eight-by-eight-inch square metal baking pan on the rack, cover the wok, and steam it dry for three to five minutes. This blistering heat instantly sets the bottom of the batter, creating a non-stick surface.
- 03
Oil the pan and agitate the resting batter.
Lift the lid, shielding your face from the steam, and quickly brush a whisper-thin layer of oil across the hot metal. Starches sink rapidly, so plunge a ladle into your rested batter and stir vigorously from the bottom up immediately before pouring.
- 04
Pour the batter and lay down the shrimp.
Ladle roughly one-third of a cup of batter into the hot pan, tilting and swirling instantly to coat the bottom in a thin, even layer. Arrange three to four marinated shrimp in a line across the lower third of the pan, scatter a few scallions, and slam the lid shut.
- 05
Steam the roll until translucent and billowing.
Steam over high heat for two and a half to three minutes. The wrapper is ready when it turns opaque and inflates with large air bubbles.
- 06
Extract, scrape, and tightly roll the noodle.
Remove the hot pan with tongs and let it sit on the counter for fifteen seconds to allow the starches to retract slightly. Dip the edge of a plastic bench scraper in oil, loosen the sheet, and fold the wrapper tightly over the shrimp, rolling it forward until you reach the opposite side.
- 07
Plate, slice, and drown in the sweet soy.
Lift the finished roll onto a warm plate, slice it laterally into thirds with your scraper, and liberally drench it in the brewed sweet soy sauce. Serve immediately, then wipe the pan clean and repeat.
Notes
Master the dim sum rhythm to hit the table simultaneously.
Dim sum is an exercise in preparation. Velvet your shrimp, mix your dumpling fillings, and brew your sweet soy sauce the day before. The morning of, build your steamer tower for the Siu Mai and Har Gow, then make these rice noodle rolls à la minute as your guests sit down and pour the tea.
From Cook Dim Sum at Home.