Chicken and shiitake siu mai
Minced chicken beaten with diced shiitake until springy, wrapped as siu mai and steamed for ten minutes — no prawns or pork fat, so allergy-prone eaters can enjoy them.
- 30 min
- Serves 2
- Steam
- Medium
Why it suits you: Special, allergy-prone constitutions do best with fresh, simple food and a short ingredient list, and Chushu's lingering humid heat makes itchy rashes more likely. Traditional siu mai contain prawns and pork fat, but this homemade version uses chicken and shiitake, so there's no seafood to worry about. Chicken boosts qi, shiitake supports the body's defences, and steaming keeps them light.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 10 min- 1Soak the shiitake until soft, remove the stems, squeeze dry and dice finely. Mix the chicken with the salt, soy sauce, sugar, ginger and cornflour, stirring in one direction until sticky.
- 2Mix in the shiitake and sesame oil and stir for another minute.
- 3Hold a wrapper in your palm, add a spoonful of filling and gather the sides up into a cup shape between your thumb and forefinger. Flatten the top and dot with a little carrot.
- 4Line a steamer with baking paper, arrange the siu mai and steam over a high heat for 8–10 minutes until cooked through.
Cautions
- Most siu mai wrappers contain egg and wheat, so use egg-free dumpling wrappers if you're sensitive to egg or gluten; shiitake is fairly high in purines, so cut back during a gout attack.
Chef's tips
- Make a big batch, freeze them on a tray, then bag them up — steam straight from frozen for 12 minutes on busy mornings.
The TCM view
Chicken is sweet and warm, warming the middle, boosting qi and replenishing essence. Shiitake is sweet and neutral, boosting qi, settling the stomach and supporting the body's defences; carrot is sweet and neutral, strengthening the spleen; ginger settles the stomach. With few ingredients and little oil, they nourish qi without dryness and help allergy-prone people strengthen their defensive qi.
