Mango Pudding

(4 servings)

I'm not entirely sure if this is still considered a Chinese dessert if I swap out the evaporated milk for coconut milk. In any case, the coconut milk compliments the mango very nicely.

1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
5-6 gms agar agar, (this is the easiest measurement because of how it's packaged, bars or powder)
2 small mangoes, peeled, chopped, then pureed
1 1/2 cups coconut milk, (12 oz can)

1 small mango, peeled and cubed or sliced

If you are using the bar form of agar agar, then break it into several pieces and place them into a bowl. Cover them with cold water and allow to soak for about 30 minutes. Remove them and squeeze out the excess water. Tear into smaller pieces.

Heat the water and sugar. Add the agar agar and simmer until the agar agar has dissolved; about 5-9 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the mango puree and the coconut milk.

Pour into  serving bowls and let stand until it sets. Serve with sliced or cubed mango.

Har Gow; Shrimp Dumplings

(about 42-48 dumplings)

While I was still living in Toronto, I took several evening cooking courses at George Brown College. Among them were two dim sum classes.

I loved those classes, and it wasn't until I left Toronto that I realised just how wonderful they had been. These were "hands on" classes where each student had their own workspace and prepared their own food, very unlike the classes I have come across in Dallas where you basically shell out a small fortune to squeeze between 15-20 individuals to watch someone else cook or prepare something.

Had I known how "special" these classes were at the time, I would have taken a lot more of them.

Har Gow was one of the dishes I learned to make and I still make it rather frequently. It freezes well, so I often double or even triple this recipe.

Filling
1 lb raw shrimp, cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 tbsp glutinous rice wine, or sherry
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tbsp tapioca starch

Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to overnight.

Wrappers
3 cups wheat starch
4 tbsp tapioca starch
2 tbsp lard, or shortening, or olive oil
2 cups boiling water

Serve with
chinese mustard
chili paste

Combine the wheat and tapioca starch in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the water; add the lard, shortening or oil. Mix until a ball forms. Knead until the dough feels smooth; a minute or so.

Keep the dough under a damp cloth and break off small pieces, and roll them into little balls. Place each ball into a tortilla press, and press; this makes perfect circular wrappers. If you don't have a press, then roll each piece out by hand with a rolling pin. The ones I make in the tortilla press do make a slightly thicker wrapper, but that's the trade-off for getting them done faster.

Place a small amount of filling into the centre of each wrapper and fold starting at one side; keep one edge smooth and fold the other edge in as you work your way to the other side. Don't be tempted to overfill these; the smallest amount of filling will prevent the edges from sticking together.

*At this point the har gow can be frozen. I place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer, not touching and freeze  for 10 minutes or so before packing them into freezer bags for further freezing.

Spray the bottom of a steamer lightly with oil or cover with cabbage leaves, and arrange the har gow in one layer with a bit of space between. Steam for about 5-8 minutes. *I add a minute if I'm steaming them directly from the freezer. Be careful not to steam them for too long as the wrappers can disintegrate.

Serve these with chinese mustard and chili paste.

Almond Jelly with Fruit Cocktail

(6 servings)

This light and refreshing dessert was always one of my favourite dim sum dishes in Toronto. Sadly, I haven't seen it here in Dallas, so I end up making it once in a while.

I imagine it would be very good with fresh fruit, but I get a bit nostalgic for the way it was served at dim sum with the canned fruit. In recent years I have bought the fruit cocktail in the refrigerator section; it seems to be better quality.

This dessert should be made with agar agar, not gelatin as the texture between the two is quite different. I buy agar agar in bars. Every few months I drive to a large asian supermarket (Hong Kong Market) in the northeastern part of Dallas to stock up on stuff, and that's where I'm able to find it.

2 3/4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
6 gms agar agar, (this is the easiest measurement because of how it's packaged, bars or powder)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

2 1/2 cups fruit cocktail
3/4 cup evaporated milk

If you are using the bar form of agar agar, then break into several pieces and place them into a bowl. Cover with cold water and allow to soak for about 30 minutes. Remove them and squeeze out the excess water. Tear into smaller pieces.

Combine the water, sugar and agar agar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until the agar agar has dissolved; about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the evaporated milk and almond extract.

Pour into a 9" square pan. It will be set by the time it's cooled to room temperature.

Cut into cubes and combine with the fruit cocktail. Serve with evaporated milk.