Phoenix Shrimp siu mai

[Dejah]

Ben will attest to this: one of the best dim sum items At Kum Koon Restaurant in Winnipeg is their Phoenix Shrimp sui mai.

We thought we were full when the cart with these delectable shrimp came along.

The batter(cornstarch based?) is lace-like, melt in your mouth, with the shrimp tail curving up for a handle. Inside is a juicy pork/chives? filling, covered I think, with taro paste.

Any recipes? Ideas?

[jo-mel]

Ben will attest to this: one of the best dim sum items At Kum Koon Restaurant in Winnipeg is their Phoenix Shrimp sui mai.

We thought we were full when the cart with these delectable shrimp came along.

The batter(cornstarch based?) is lace-like, melt in your mouth, with the shrimp tail curving up for a handle. Inside is a juicy pork/chives? filling, covered I think, with taro paste.

Any recipes? Ideas?

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Could the 'batter' be caul fat wrapped around the shrimp and then coated with cornstarch? Your word 'lacy' made me wonder. Or could the taro give that appearance?

They sound wonderful!

I'm that way with DimSum, also! I guell we all are. ---- Just when I think I've had it--- along comes something else that cannot be resisted!

[hzrt8w]

[...]The batter(cornstarch based?) is lace-like, melt in your mouth, with the shrimp tail curving up for a handle. Inside is a juicy pork/chives? filling, covered I think, with taro paste.

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I cannot quite picture this dim sum item. How much taro paste was used? Was it deep-fried?

Is this a variety of siu mai? Or a variety of deep-fried taro "cake" (for lack of better terms)?

I have seen (though not tasted) shrimp (with a tail sticking up) wrapped by taro paste and deep-fried. I suppose there might be minced pork and juice inside. Is that what you had?

[SuzySushi]

Dejah,

What you describe is pretty common on dim sum menus in Honolulu -- only it's never called by that name! It's essentially a variation of deep-fried taro "footballs" (which usually are stuffed with pork and black mushrooms), but they wrap the taro paste around a whole shrimp. The taro paste contains lard and cornstarch, and it fries up to a crispy, flaky crust. Both items are among my family's favorite dim sum!

[Dejah]

Dejah,

What you describe is pretty common on dim sum menus in Honolulu -- only it's never called by that name! It's essentially a variation of deep-fried taro "footballs" (which usually are stuffed with pork and black mushrooms), but they wrap the taro paste around a whole shrimp. The taro paste contains lard and cornstarch, and it fries up to a crispy, flaky crust. Both items are among my family's favorite dim sum!

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Thanks, Suzy.

If you see a recipe or have directions, please post!

[jo-mel]

Those taro 'footballs' are one of those things that ----- when I've had enough, when I can't eat one more piece, and then the taro comes around, I just HAVE to have one!

[hzrt8w]

If you see a recipe or have directions, please post!

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Sounds like you are very determined to make this dish, Dejah.

I have not made it before but I were to make it, here is how I would do it based on my educated imagination:

Use one big taro, or several small ones. Peel. Cut in big chunks. Cook with some water (about 2 part taro 1 part water) for about 20 minute until soft over medium heat. Adjust for water. Don't let the taro burn or get too watery. Remove and let it cool to room temperature.

Shrimp: remove head and shell, except leave the tail on. Devein. Marinate with a small amount of cooking oil, salt and corn starch.

Pork: use some minced pork (very small amount would do). Soak one or 2 dried black mushrooms and dice into small cubes. Marinate the minced pork with oil, ground white pepper, light soy sauce and ShaoShing cooking wine. Maybe press 1 clove of garlic in the marinade. Use a bit of cooking oil, brown the minced pork with the reconstituted black mushroms. Add a bit of chicken broth, oyster sauce and dark soy sauce and sugar. Add some corn starch slurry to thicken sauce. Remove. You want to sauce to be paste-like because it's used as a filling.

Use a mixing bowl, put in the taro. Use a potato smasher to smash taro into paste.

To assemble: On a board, lay down a handful of taro paste. Form into a round flat disc shape. Scoop in a spoonful of the minced pork filling on top. Spread evenly. Pick one shrimp and lay it right at the center. Then roll up the taro paste into a football shape. Make sure to close out the top and bottom so that the pork filling would not spill out. Let the shrimp tail stick out.

Break an egg in a small bowl. Scramble. Use another plate and add some breadcrumbs.

To deep-fry: Heat up a pan/wok of frying oil to frying temperature. Take each piece of taro/shrimp football. Dip the football into the egg, make sure the egg spread evenly on the surface, then roll the football on the breadcrumbs for coating. Then deep-fry the football until the breadcrumbs turn golden brown.

Shrimp cooks very fast. The heat from the frying oil through the taro paste should cook the shrimp.

Edited November 14, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[SuzySushi]

If you see a recipe or have directions, please post!

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What Ah Leung said, except...

Dim Sum by Rhoda Yee uses a dough mde with 4 cups cooked mashed taro (about 2 pounds raw), 2 t salt, 1 t sugar, 1/4 t white pepper, 1/4 t 5-spice powder, and 7-8 tablespoons potato flour (mixed in last).

Ruth Law's dim sum book uses 1 pound taro, 3 T lard, 3/4 cup cornstarch, 1 T sugar, 1/2 t salt, dash 5-spice powder; add boiling water if needed to make a smooth dough.

The ingredients list in Wei Chuan's dim sum book is confusing. They use wheat starch dissolved in boiling water, and the photo of the finished product looks smooth.

[sheetz]

Those deep fried taro dumplings are one of the harder dim sum to make. I'd rate them as somewhat easier than egg tarts but harder than most other things.

[hzrt8w]

Ruth Law's dim sum book uses 1 pound taro, 3 T lard, 3/4 cup cornstarch, 1 T sugar, 1/2 t salt, dash 5-spice powder; add boiling water if needed to make a smooth dough.

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That's very true. Taro by itself can crack easily. Lard... lard... My wife is going to smack me on the head if I try to make this. Lard... deep-frying... another divorce risk.

[Dejah]

This "shrimp football" was definitely not coated with bread crumbs then deepfried.

The surface was more like the deep fried taro puffs. Must look up taro puffs then maybe go from there.

I can see the insides being what you described, hzrt.

[gus_tatory]

...

The surface was more like the deep fried taro puffs. Must look up taro puffs then maybe go from there...

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Dejah:

there's a recipe in Susur Lee's A Culinary Life link for the book so that eGullet gets the commission... for deep-fried taro root fritters in book 2, recipe #2.31. i can't put it here, i don't think, for copyright reasons, but PM me and i can give it to you, or better yet, buy the book!

edit to add: any eGulleter can donate the Amazon commission from any ordered book to the eGullet Culinary Society. all you have to do is take the ISBN (book publishing number) and add it to a link like this (replace the number after ASIN with the ISBN):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/158...2/egulletcom-20

Edited November 15, 2005 by gus_tatory (log)

[BettyK]

Dejah, is this what you're looking for? Click.

Also, do you have Wei-Chuan's "Chinese Snacks"? They have a similar recipe for Fried Taro Cake. If you want the recipe I can send it to you.

[Dejah]

Dejah, is this what you're looking for? Click.

Also, do you have Wei-Chuan's "Chinese Snacks"? They have a similar recipe for Fried Taro Cake. If you want the recipe I can send it to you.

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I do have Wei-Chuan's Chinese Snacks book.

The picture looks like what we had in Winnipeg. I guess the restaurant just made them to look prettier with the tail as a handle.

Thanks Gus_tatory and Betty for both recipes!