Okay, so today I decided to tackle a challenge: making 126 dim sum. Yeah, you heard that right, 126 individual pieces. It sounded insane even to me when I first thought of it, but hey, I love a good cooking adventure!
Getting Started
First things first, I gathered all the ingredients. This took a while, honestly. I made a huge list, went to multiple stores, and my kitchen counter looked like a mini grocery store. I laid out everything, making sure I had enough bamboo steamers, parchment paper, and all the fillings and wrappers I needed.
The Prep Work
Then came the prep. Oh boy, the prep. I chopped vegetables, mixed fillings, and prepared different doughs. My hands were cramping, and I probably spent a good two hours just getting everything ready. My kitchen was a complete disaster zone, with flour and bits of veggies everywhere.
- Chopping veggies: Carrots, onions, mushrooms… you name it, I chopped it.
- Mixing fillings: I made a few different types – pork, shrimp, and a veggie option.
- Preparing doughs: Some were store-bought, some I made from scratch. It was a mix.
The Assembly Line
Next up, the actual dim sum making. I set up an assembly line on my dining table. I had little bowls of fillings, stacks of wrappers, and my trusty bamboo steamers ready to go. I started filling and folding, filling and folding. It was repetitive, but kind of therapeutic, like a weird, food-based meditation.
I tried to make a variety of shapes – some dumplings, some buns, some open-topped siu mai. Some looked pretty good, others… well, let’s just say they had “character.”
The Steaming Process
Once I had a batch ready, I carefully placed them in the bamboo steamers, making sure they weren’t overcrowded. Then, I put the steamers over a pot of boiling water and let them steam. The kitchen started to smell amazing, like a proper dim sum restaurant. That definitely kept me motivated!
I steamed batch after batch, constantly checking the water level and making sure nothing was burning. This took the longest time, easily a few more hours. I rotated the steamers, added more water, and kept the momentum going.
The Final (Exhausted) Result
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I finished! 126 dim sum, all steamed and ready to eat. My kitchen was a wreck, I was exhausted, but I had a mountain of delicious-smelling dim sum. I plated some up, grabbed some dipping sauces, and dug in.
Were they perfect? Absolutely not. Some were a bit misshapen, some of the fillings were a little uneven, but you know what? They were pretty darn tasty. And I made them all myself. That’s a pretty good feeling. Would I do it again? Maybe not 126 at once, but hey, I definitely learned a lot!