Steamed Beancurd Skin Rolls in Superior Broth
上湯鮮竹卷·(shàng tāng xiān zhú juǎn)
Chapter 4: Char Siu, Fillings & The Tea Sauce Repertoire
Slide brittle sheets of beancurd skin into warm water. Making these beancurd rolls is a deliberate, quiet Saturday project that demands the entire afternoon—a masterful two-step process where tofu skin is flash-fried into a blistered sponge, then slowly steamed in ham-fortified broth until it collapses into something impossibly tender. The magic lies in the da jiao technique, beating the pork and shrimp into a fiercely bouncy matrix studded with the snap of wood ear and bamboo; fold the skins tight, line the bamboo steamer, and let the warm superior broth do the rest of the heavy lifting.
Before you start
Plan your weekend dim sum schedule.
Make the Superior Broth and mix the meat filling on Friday evening so the proteins have ample time to rest and firm up overnight.
Hydrate the dried mushrooms and fungus well in advance.
Give them at least a few hours or overnight to fully soften before mincing so they don't draw moisture out of the pork filling.
Ingredients
- chicken wings or stewing hen1 lb
- pork neck bones1 lb
- dry-cured ham4 oz
- fresh ginger1 med
- cold water4 qt
- dried shiitake mushrooms3 med
- dried wood ear fungus1/4 cup
- canned bamboo shoots1/4 cup
- water chestnuts or jicama1/4 cup
- scallions2 med
- ground pork shoulder12 oz
- raw shrimp4 oz
- kosher salt1 tsp
- granulated sugar1 tsp
- ground white pepper1/2 tsp
- light soy sauce1 tbsp
- Shaoxing cooking wine1 tbsp
- cornstarch1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- package dried or frozen beancurd sheets1 large
- all-purpose flour1 tbsp
- neutral oil1 cup
- premium oyster sauce1 tbsp
- granulated sugar1/2 tsp
- cornstarch1 tsp
Method
- 01
Purge the meats to ensure a crystal-clear broth.
Cover the chicken, pork bones, and ham with cold water in a large pot, bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes, then dump the contents into a colander and scrub the meats and pot completely clean of gray scum.
- 02
Simmer the broth gently without letting it boil.
Return the cleaned meats to the pot with the smashed ginger and 4 quarts of cold water, bring to a simmer, then drop the heat to the absolute lowest setting and let it shiver for 4 to 6 hours.
- 03
Strain and reserve the liquid gold.
Pour the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, discarding the spent solids, and set aside 1 1/2 cups for the rolls.
- 04
Beat the meat mixture in a single direction to build the protein matrix.
In a large bowl, vigorously stir the pork, shrimp, salt, 1 tsp sugar, white pepper, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and 1 tbsp cornstarch clockwise for 3 to 4 minutes until it transforms into a pale, sticky paste.
- 05
Fold the crunchy inclusions into the fiercely bouncy meat.
Gently mix in the sesame oil, shiitake, wood ear, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and scallions until just combined, then chill the mixture for at least 1 hour.
- 06
Hydrate the beancurd skin with a damp towel, never by soaking.
Wipe a large brittle sheet on both sides with a warm, damp kitchen towel, wait 2 minutes until pliable, and cut it into 8 equal wedges.
- 07
Roll the filling tightly into neat bundles.
Place 2 tablespoons of chilled filling near the wide edge of a wedge, roll up once, fold the sides in like a burrito, and seal the top point with a dab of the flour-water paste.
- 08
Flash-fry the rolls to create the essential blistered texture.
Heat 1/2 inch of neutral oil in a wide skillet to 325°F and fry the rolls seam-side down for 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden and covered in tiny blisters, then remove to a wire rack.
- 09
Thicken the Superior Broth into a light glaze.
In a saucepan, simmer the reserved 1 1/2 cups of broth with the oyster sauce and 1/2 tsp sugar, whisk in the cornstarch slurry, and cook for 30 seconds.
- 10
Braise the rolls in a steamer to melt the fat and soak up the broth.
Arrange the fried rolls in a shallow heat-proof dish, pour the thickened broth over them, and steam over rapidly boiling water for 12 to 15 minutes.
Notes
Do not substitute the dry-cured ham.
It is the soul of Cantonese Superior Broth, providing the aged, fermented amino acids that distinguish restaurant-level dim sum from casual takeout.
The single-direction stirring technique is non-negotiable.
Reversing your stirring direction will break the myosin chains you are trying to untangle, resulting in a crumbly meatball instead of a cohesive, bouncy dim sum farce.
From Cook Dim Sum at Home.