Tangbao

Tangbao (Soup Dumplings)

Tangbao are delicate steamed soup dumplings from the Jiangnan region, prized for their thin skin and a mouthful of rich, savory broth. The trick is a gelatinized pork aspic that melts into soup during steaming, so every bite bursts with flavor.

Prep

90 min

Cook

12 min

Total

102 min

Serves

Makes about 18 dumplings

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) pork belly (skin on), for the aspic
• •100 g (3½ oz) pork skin, for the aspic
• •1 L (4¼ cups) water, for the aspic
• •3 g (1 tsp) ginger slices
• •15 g (1 tbsp) Shaoxing wine
• •1 g (¼ tsp) salt
• •300 g (10½ oz) ground pork (20% fat), for the filling
• •10 g (2 tsp) soy sauce, light
• •5 g (1 tsp) dark soy sauce
• •10 g (2 tsp) Shaoxing wine
• •3 g (1 tsp) sugar, caster
• •3 g (1 tsp) salt
• •2 g (½ tsp) white pepper, ground
• •8 g (1½ tsp) ginger, finely grated
• •30 g (2 tbsp) scallion, white part only, finely chopped
• •100 g (scant ½ cup) water or pork stock, cold, for the filling
• •300 g (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour, for the dough
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) hot water (~60°C/140°F), makes a half-hot dough
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) cold water
• •1 g (¼ tsp) salt
• •10 g (2 tsp) neutral oil, for kneading

Steps

1. 1 Make the aspic 1 day ahead: Place pork belly, pork skin, ginger, Shaoxing wine, salt and 1 L water in a pot. Bring to a simmer, skim, then gently simmer for 3 hours until the pork skin is soft and the broth is cloudy.
2. 2 Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a shallow metal tray. Discard solids. Cool, then refrigerate until fully set into a firm jelly, at least 6 hours or overnight.
3. 3 Make the dough: Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in the hot water and stir with chopsticks until shaggy, then add the cold water and bring together. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, adding oil near the end. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
4. 4 Make the filling: Combine ground pork with soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, sugar, salt, white pepper, ginger and scallion. Stir in one direction, gradually splashing in the cold water or stock until the mixture is paste-like and holds its shape.
5. 5 Dice the chilled aspic into 5 mm (¼ in) cubes. Fold the aspic cubes gently into the pork mixture. Keep cold.
6. 6 Roll the dough into a 2 cm (¾ in) rope and cut into 18 pieces (~15 g each). Roll each into a ball, then flatten and roll out to thin wrappers about 9 cm (3½ in) across, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edge.
7. 7 Place about 20 g (a heaped tablespoon) of filling in the center of a wrapper. Pleat the edge: rotate the dumpling in one hand while folding the edge over the filling, making 14–18 pleats and twisting to seal the top into a small closed knot.
8. 8 Line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper squares or cabbage leaves (lightly oiled). Place dumplings seam up, spaced 3 cm apart so they don't touch.
9. 9 Bring a wok of water to a full boil. Steam the dumplings over rapidly boiling water for 10–12 minutes; the wrappers should turn translucent and the dumpling should feel heavy with liquid.
10. 10 Serve immediately with Chinkiang vinegar and julienned ginger for dipping. Eat in one bite through the side: pierce the skin, let the steam escape, sip the soup, then eat the dumpling.