Scallop Siu Mai Spring Moon

Preparation 1. In a small bowl soak the mushrooms in 1/2 cup cold water 30 minutes or until softened. Drain and squeeze dry, reserving the soaking liquid. Cut off and discard the stems and mince the caps. Divide the scallops in half, putting the thickest on a plate; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Mince the remaining thinner scallops. In a medium bowl combine the pork, mushrooms, minced scallops, cornstarch, sesame oil, salt, sugar, pepper, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the reserved mushroom liquid. 2. Put the won ton wrappers on a work surface and lightly cover with a damp towel. Touch the tip of your left index finger to the tip of your thumb to form a small empty circle, or hole. Put one wrapper over the hole and put1 tablespoon filling in the center of the wrapper. Let the filled wrapper drop halfway through the hole, and gently squeeze it closed with your fingers. Put on a work surface and carefully pleat the excess wrapper, pressing down the filling. Put the dumpling upright on a plate. Continue filling the rest of the wrappers. Cut the reserved scallops horizontally into 24 thin rounds. Put a slice of scallop on each dumpling. Put a pinch of carrot in the center. 3. Line a 12-inch bamboo steamer with the cabbage leaves, or cheesecloth. Place half the dumplings on the leaves, 1/2-inch apart. Cover the steamer with its lid. Add water to a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok to a depth of 3/4-inch and bring to a boil over high heat. Carefully put the steamer in the wok, and steam on high heat 5 to 7 minutes or until the pork is no longer pink and just cooked. Be sure to check the water level from time to time and replenish, if necessary, with boiling water. Carefully remove the steamer from the wok. The dumplings should be served immediately. Continue steaming the remaining dumplings, replenishing the wok with more boiling water. Grace Young shares her tips with Epicurious:·Siu mai dumplings are typical of dim sum, the Cantonese tradition of eating a number of small treats with tea. At the Spring Moon restaurant in Hong Kong, chef Yip Wing Wah has added scallops, an innovation in keeping with his city's culinary experimentation. ·If fresh round won ton wrappers are not available, the standard square wrappers can easily be substituted — simply cut them into 3-inch rounds with a cookie cutter. ·The dumplings can be assembled three to four hours ahead and kept, refrigerated, in a covered container. ·Lining the steamer with Napa cabbage leaves is the traditional method of keeping the dumpings from sticking, but cheesecloth works just as well. The Breath of a Wok Simon & Schuster