{"id":110566,"title":"Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow, Ha Kao)","modified":"2025-10-29T17:15:53+01:00","plain":"Today, I\u2019m sharing the recipe for one of the most requested dim sum dishes: Har Gow, also called Ha Kao or Ha Cao\u2014the famous crystal-skinned steamed shrimp dumplings.\n\n\n\nNow, before we get to the heart of the matter, a quick word of warning: Har Gow are hard to make\u2014really, truly hard.\n\n\n\nIf you can buy good ones inexpensively nearby, there\u2019s no real reason to make them yourself. This isn\u2019t the kind of dish you\u2019ll whip up on a Thursday-night whim.\n\n\n\nThe only reason to make Har Gow, in my view, is to prove to yourself that you can\u2014or you simply have the time and want to maximize the quantity-quality-price ratio. \n\n\n\nServing spicy ramen rolls with Har Gow is a perfect combo\n\n\n\nBecause yes, usually in a Chinese restaurant, you\u2019ll get at most three or four per plate\u2026 This recipe makes 30.\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s something deeply satisfying about having a whole steamer basket of Har Gow in front of you and being able to devour them with abandon as if they were simple appetizers.\n\n\n\nWhat is Har Gow (Ha Kao)?\n\n\n\nHar Gow are a type of dim sum with a slightly sweet shrimp filling, characterized by a translucent wrapper. The word \u201cha kao\u201d means \u201cbride\u2019s hat\u201d in Cantonese because the dumpling\u2019s shape resembles the traditional bridal hairstyle of southern China.\n\n\n\nOrigin and history of Har Gow\n\n\n\nHar Gow originated in China, reportedly in the southern region of Guangdong province, where they remain especially beloved.\n\n\n\nThey date back to the Ming dynasty, though the exact date is unknown\u2026 In short, just remember they\u2019re old, traditional, and delicious. source\n\n\n\nKey ingredients for Har Gow\u2014and why they matter: a few tips to nail them every time\n\n\n\nPork fat:  Adds richness to the dumpling\u2019s flavor\u2014don\u2019t omit it.\n\n\n\nLard: Rendered pork fat. In the filling, it improves the overall texture, and it\u2019s crucial in the dough for that glossy, translucent finish once the dumpling is steamed. You can buy some here on Amazon\n\n\n\nWhy wash the shrimp? A brief technical explanation is in order: with the salt and water, we\u2019re removing the thin layer of glycosylated protein on the surface of the shrimp.\n\n\n\nThis helps the shrimp keep their \u201csnap\u201d throughout cooking. If you\u2019ve tried making Har Gow and the filling\u2019s texture didn\u2019t resemble what you get at restaurants, this is why.\n\n\n\nA quick final note\n\n\n\nMy recipe is clearly not the first recipe out there for making Har Gow. Generally, the Ha Kao recipes I\u2019ve seen aren\u2019t too bad, all things considered.\n\n\n\nThat said, there\u2019s a recurring problem on blogs, whether for Har Gow or other dishes: people add too many unnecessary extras to the filling.\n\n\n\nThe Har Gow filling, at its core, should be three things: shrimp, pork fat, and a mix of bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.\n\n\n\nShrimp pancakes make a great side, since the base ingredient is the same\n\n\n\nDo not add ground pork. Skip aromatics like ginger or scallions. No shiitake mushrooms. No oyster sauce. And definitely no carrots or bell peppers. They completely throw off the flavor when added the way I\u2019ve seen\u2026\n\n\n\nStill, you\u2019re absolutely free to play with the proportions\u2014don\u2019t hesitate; that\u2019s how the best discoveries are made.\n\n\n\nBut it\u2019s best to perfect the original first, then start experimenting. If anything, omit ingredients that are truly unavailable where you live; just don\u2019t (at first) substitute or add new ones.\n\n\n\nA much easier (but no less delicious) option is my Chinese pork dumplings recipe.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\tSteamed Shrimp Dumplings (Ha Kao)\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tFilling100 g peeled shrimp1\/2 teaspoon salt (for the shrimp)40 g bamboo shoots or water chestnuts20 g unrendered pork fat (trimmed from a piece of bacon or beef brisket)0.5 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon cornstarch1 pinch MSG1 pinch white pepper1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil1 teaspoon rendered pork fat\/lard (slowly render a solid piece of bacon fat or pork belly; otherwise use beef tallow)Dough225 g wheat starch (this is not flour)1\/2 teaspoon salt350 g boiling water25 g cornstarch (you can use potato starch or tapioca instead)8 g lard\/rendered pork fat (substitute with beef tallow)\t\n\t\n\t\tFilling for Ha KaoAdd 1\/2 teaspoon salt to the shrimp. Mix well and let stand for about 5 minutes.Place the shrimp in a bowl under cold running water. Rinse in the bowl for at least 15 minutes.Add the solid pork fat to boiling water and blanch for about 1 minute. Transfer it to the bowl with the rinsing shrimp to cool.Finely dice the pork fat.Finely chop the bamboo shoots or water chestnuts.Roughly chop the rinsed shrimp.In a bowl, combine the shrimp, MSG, sugar, 1\/2 teaspoon salt, cornstarch, and white pepper. Mix in one direction until tacky; the mixture should leave light streaks on the side of the bowl.Add the diced pork fat, the bamboo shoots or water chestnuts, the sesame oil, and the lard. Mix well.Cover and refrigerate while you make the dough.Dough for Ha KaoAdd the salt to a bowl and sift in the wheat starch. Gradually pour in the boiling water. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.Turn the dough out onto a smooth surface. Dust with cornstarch little by little, kneading about 30 seconds between additions. I usually do this in about 8 additions. It will be crumbly at first\u2014that's normal. As the dough comes together, sprinkle cornstarch over the top and knead, continuously folding the sides up and over toward the center.Knead the dough for about 3 minutes to ensure all the starch is incorporated.Add the lard and knead in the same way for about 2 minutes.Roll into a log, divide into seven pieces, then roll each piece into an even log.Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and rest for about 10 minutes. Each log should be about 3.5 cm in diameter. At each step, keep the remaining dough covered so it doesn't dry out.Divide each log, one at a time, into 10 g pieces, then roll into balls.Take a clean kitchen towel and moisten it with peanut oil (yes, really). Then take a knife and vigorously rub the flat side across the towel.Place one ball on the smooth surface. Press with the knife, then push and slide slightly in a circular motion. Repeat until you have a thin, flat round that resembles a dim sum wrapper.Place the wrappers under a piece of plastic wrap so they don't dry out.Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of a wrapper. Fold into a taco shape, then pleat one side over itself as for gyoza and press to seal. For shaping, consider watching a quick video\u2014it's tricky to explain in writing.Steam for 15 minutes.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110566"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110697,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110566\/revisions\/110697"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}