ISO: uses for bamboo steamer

[Missi]

I have a great bamboo steamer that is collecting dust. It would also double as a great way to serve the food to the table. Does anyone else have one of these? What do you use it to make??? Looking forward to some great ideas (or other threads if this has come up before).

[Sara Emily]

I have one, and will share these couple of good recipes from noted Chinese Chef Martin Yan -

PLUM GOOD SPARERIBS

Marinade
3 T plum wine
2T reg. soy suace
1T dark soy sauce (more of reg. if you can't find this!)
2 t grated ginger (fresh!)
2T cornstarch

1 1/2 lbs. pork spareribs, fat removed, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 c plum sauce
1t sugar
1T chopped candied ginger
3 fresh plums, seeded, peeled, and cut into thin wedges
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Combine the marinade ingredients in med. bowl. Add the spareribs and stir to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Add the plum sauce, sugar, and candied ginger to the ribs and mix well. Spread the ribs evenly over a pie dish. Place plum slices on top and sprinkle with the red pepper.

Place the pie dish on steamer rack that is over boiling water in a wok. Steam for 20 min. or until tender. 4 servings


PEARL BALLS

1 c glutinous rice
1 1/2 lbs. finely chopped or ground lean pork
1/4 c minced Sichuan preserved vegetable
1/4 c chopped water chestnuts
2 T soy sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 T chopped green onion or cilantro
2 t minced fresh ginger
1/2 t each salt and white pepper
1 t sesame oil (roasted/dark)

Place the rice in a bowl, cover with cold water, and let stand overnight. Drain. Spread rice on a plate.

Place the remaining ingred. in a large bowl; mix well. With wet hands, roll the meat mixture into 24 equal balls, about 2 T each. Roll each ball in rice to coat completely. Arrange the meatballs, without crowding, on 2 plates with lips.

Set one dish on rack in steamer, cover, and steam until pork is cooked through, about 25 min. Add water as needed. Serve the first portion while you steam the second. Makes 24.


I also use my steamer often for fish with wine, ginger, lemon, and fresh herbs on one level, while I steam mixed veggies on another. Asparagus is especially nice like this! It is also good for "freshening" bread or rolls, which can be done at the top level at the same time if desired. Steamed Oriental dumplings are WONDERFUL prepared this way and can be filled with either a meat and veggie, solely veggie, or tofu and veggie flavorful mixture, and served with you favorite dipping sauces.

Happy steaming!!! :D

[Missi]

Thank you, Sara Emily, for the recipes and ideas. I was starting to think that I wouldn't get any responses!!! Can't wait to try these out!!!!!

[aggie94]

Missi,

I use mine most often for dim sum. If you're interested, I have a couple of fabulous recipes at home that I can post.

[Little Bit]

aggie94,

I'd love to try some of your dim sum recipes, if you don't mind posting them. :)

[aggie94]

No problem. I'll post them tonight when I get home from work.

[Grace]

Oh Aggie94, THANK YOU for offering your dim sum recipes!! I absolutely LOVE dim sum, and my favorite dim sum restaurant closed a couple years ago. Never really searched for another one since. It was very, very authentic - in Chinatown (that's not what makes it authentic, of course!), a very, very small hole in the wall place, and not an American to be found there ever (except me and a co-worker - although he is Colombian....!). Only the cashier spoke english - the servers didn't speak a word of english, so I just pointed to what I wanted. Anyway, I crave dim sum and wouldn't it be nice to make it myself!?? I have a bamboo steamer too, and access to a wonderful chinese market. BRING ON THE RECIPES!! Thanks in advance!!

[aggie94]

Okay, here they are. I can't vouch for the shrimp dim sum recipe, because I've never made it (I'm allergic to shrimp), but the pork recipe is excellent (my modifications are in []). And every time I've ever made it for company, it's been devoured and raved about.

Both of these recipes are from Jasper Spencer-Smith's The Book of Chinese Cooking. I highly recommend this cookbook: the pictures are fabulous and all of the recipes that I've made from it are wonderful and authentic.

Pork Dim Sum
3/4 pound ground pork
1/4 pound raw shelled shrimp, ground [I use canned or fresh cooked crabmeat]
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon sugar
dash of pepper
1 egg white
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
30 won-ton skins [aka gyoza wrappers -- they should be round]
fresh or frozen green peas or chopped hard-cooked egg yolks, for garnish [I never use these]

To make filling: Mix together ground pork, ground shrimp [or crab], soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and egg white until mixture is well-blended and smooth. Stir in cornstarch. Divide into 30 portions. [I don't do this either. I just use small spoonfuls, probably about the size of a rounded teaspoon, until all the mixture is gone. My version probably makes more than 30 dim sum.] Place one portion of filling in the middle of a won-ton skin. Gather the edges of the won-ton skin around the meat filling. [You don't have to seal the skins up. Just gather the edges of the skin around the meat so that you can still see the meat.] Dip a teaspoon in water and use to smooth the surface of the meat. [I don't do this, or any of the following steps. After gathering the skins, I just place them into the steamer and steam.]

Garnish by placing a green pea or chopped egg yolk on top of meat. Gather the edges to form a waist. Repeat with remaining won-ton skins and meat filling. Line a steamer with a damp cloth [I use damp paper towels]; steam over high heat for 5 minutes. [In my experience, it takes a lot longer than 5 minutes to steam these dim sum, especially if you've got two layers of steamer going at once. Just steam and check them until the meat is no longer pink.] Remove and serve.

[I serve these with a dipping sauce made of soy sauce and a Vietnamese hot sauce (the one with the rooster on the bottle and the green cap - I can't think of the name).]

Shrimp Dim Sum
3/4 pound raw shelled shrimp, ground
1 (4-oz.) can bamboo shoots, chopped
4 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
dash of pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup cold water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

To make filling: Mix together all ingredients except cornstarch until the mixture is well-blended and smooth. Stir in cornstarch. Divide into 30 portions.

To make dough: Put 2 cups of the flour in a medium size bowl. Reserve remaining flour and use for hands if they become sticky. Stir in the boiling water. Add the cold water and oil. Mix to form dough; knead until smooth. Roll the dough into a long, rope shape and cut it into 30 pieces. Use a rolling pin to roll each portion into a thin 2-inch circle.

[Personally, I'd skip this step and just buy gyoza wrappers. My dad, however, would have a heart attack if he heard that I used pre-made wrappers to make dim sum!]

Place one portion of the filling in the middle of a dough circle. Bring the opposite edges together and pinch them together to hold. [These, unlike the pork dim sum, should be sealed like gyoza or potstickers traditionally are made.] Repeat with remaining circles and filling.

Line a steamer with a damp cloth. Setthe dumplings about one inch apart. Steam over high heat 5 minutes. Remove and serve.

[Missi]

WOW!! I haven't been on for a couple of days, and I'm so glad to see this thread surface again! I will be trying out those dim sum recipes, too! Thanks aggie!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

[gabbyh]

Missi,
I found this cookbook on my bookshelf collecting lots of dust...on a quick look-through, this recipe looks interesting:

Steamed Shrimp Buns
FILLING:
1 cup minced shrimp
1/4 cup diced bamboo shoots
1 scallion, minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon peanut oil

BUNS:
1 package (8 ounces) prepared biscuit dough
1/4 cup unbleached white flour

1. Mix filling ingredients and divide into ten equal portions.
2. Place a sheet of waxed paper across steaming rack.
3. Separate biscuit dough and pat with flour. Flatten each biscuit into a 3-inch circle. Place 1 portion of shrimp filling in the middle of each circle. Pull dough up on sides and twist on top to secure. Repeat for each bun. Place buns on waxed paper on steaming rack.
4. Place steaming rack over boiling water in wok. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. Check water level during cooking time, adding more if needed. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

[Terri-Lynn2]

If you do not feel like going to all of the trouble to make dim sum, it can be very labour intensive. Usually at the markets in China Town they sell fresh and frozen dim sum that you can bring home and steam yourself, sometimes it is good to try some different brands if you shop around and you get the knack of timing it all it is just as good as going out if not better!! I was just at the market tonight picking up the sticky rice buns that we love to have on the weekends as a quick lunch. As a note, dont forget to put your dumplings on a lettuce leaf before steaming so they wont stick and to enhance the flavor.

You can also steam ribs and fish in your steamer they work very well.

Terri

[Little Bit]

I love this thread! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas, everyone!

[gabbyh]

I was able to get my hands on a copy of "The Book of Chinese Cooking" by Jasper Spencer-Smith that you recommended earlier on in this thread...it's terrific!!! You're right...the pics are fabulous...just wondering if you've tried any other recipes? Thanks for a great tip!:cool:

[aggie94]

That is one of my favorite cookbooks! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I've made several recipes from there, and all of them have been fabulous. Some I haven't repeated, only because there are dishes that I like better, but I would serve any of them to company.

DH loves the Chai Sui Roast Pork and I love the Shanghai Casserole, although I usually make some modifications with the veggies (depending on what I have on hand) and cut way back on the oil. I've also made the Hot and Sour Soup several times. By far, my favorites and the ones I make most often are the Shanghai Casserole and the Pork Dim Sum.

I've also made the Squid Flowers with Peppers, except that I used beef instead of squid, because I've never cooked with squid before (even though I love it). So it ended up being more like Pepper Steak - still delicious. I'd try it again with squid (or some of the other squid recipes), if I ever get adventurous enough to attempt to buy squid and/or clean it at home.

I've also made the Chicken in Black Bean Sauce, Mandarin Chicken, and the Egg Fried Rice. I'm planning to try the Green Bean Stir-Fry this week, although I'd probably leave off the teaspoon of peanut oil at the end and replace it with a few drops of sesame oil.

Thanks for giving me a chance to go through this cookbook again! I see tons of recipes that I had overlooked, only because they use something I don't eat (like lamb, duck, or shrimp), but I now see that they could easily be modified, like the Duck with Leeks. I love leeks, but I don't eat duck. I could make this chicken with leeks instead!

[aggie94]

I'm bumping this up for Gabby to see. I edited my last post and didn't realize that editing wouldn't move it back up to the top of the board. Oops!

[gabbyh]

aggie94,
Thanks again!! I loved your idea of substitutions...for duck,squid, etc...this cookbook is a real find!!! I'll let you know what we try:cool:

[lynnred]

bump