Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

Here's another Chinese dumpling recipe I tried during our Year of the Ox celebration. They are slightly lighter than the pork version I previously posted.

I have to confess...when I first saw the recipe, the fish sauce in the dipping sauce was a real turn-off. If you've used it before, you know that just taking the lid off the bottle can send a "perfume" through your kitchen. But you also know that it is an imperative undernote in all sorts of Asian cooking...although it is usually heated as it is mixed with other ingredients. So I was nervous about using it in its powerful incarnation straight out of the bottle. It works though. Don't be afraid.

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce:

2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

To prepare sauce, combine the first 5 ingredients.

Dumplings:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup finely chopped leek (about 1 large)
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped (I saved a bit of time by pulsing the shrimp in my mini food processor.)
30 wonton wrappers

To prepare dumplings, heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leek and 1 tablespoon ginger; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine leek mixture, mirin, salt, black pepper, and shrimp, stirring well.

Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1 tablespoon shrimp mixture into center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal.

Add water to a wok or large skillet to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil. Line a bamboo steamer with 15 carrot slices or cabbage leaves; arrange 15 dumplings on top. Cover with steamer lid. Place steamer in pan; steam dumplings 12 minutes. Remove dumplings from steamer; cover and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining carrot slices and dumplings. Serve with sauce.