Milk Street Digital Class: Chinese Dim Sum with the Woks of Life

About this Pre-Recorded Class:

If you’re not already acquainted with dim sum, get ready for a treat. Originally from SouthChina, dim sum is a meal made up of dumplings and other small bites—and you don’t need to head to a restaurant to enjoy it. Join guest chefs Sarah and Kaitlin Leung, two of the creators of the popular blog The Woks of Life, at a pre-recorded Zoom class where you’ll learn two delectable dim sum staples. We start with pork and shrimp-stuffed steamed dumplings that are an essential part of any respectable dim sum spread. You’ll learn why shrimp love a quick bath in sugar and baking soda and will see how thorough mixing transforms the texture of the flavorful filling, which is also enriched with shiitake mushrooms, oyster sauce and fragrant sesame oil. Then comes the fun part: shaping. Sarah and Kaitlin show you how to create the classic siu mai shape, which resembles a small cup filled to the brim. Then, you’ll learn how to steam them to perfection using either parchment paper, cheesecloth or cabbage leaves as your base. Plus, they walk you through the steps of making siu mai ahead and freezing for later. Then we turn our attention to another classic dim sum star: Chinese Chicken Curry Puffs. Featuring Madras curry powder plus plenty of black pepper, cumin and turmeric, these richly aromatic treats come together in no time at all thanks to the magic of frozen puff pastry.