This Dim Sum Celebration Is Basically The Ultimate Dim Sum Charcuterie Board

The following recipe and excerpt for Dim Sum Celebration are from “The Curated Board: Inspired Platters & Spreads for Any Occasion” by Bebe Black Carminito. It’s available for purchase on Amazon.

This festive menu of sweet and savory bites — homemade char siu puffs, purchased Asian dumplings, and homemade sesame-almond shortbread — is lovely to serve for Lunar New Year or any time of year. It was created by Christine Gallary, a Chinese-American food editor, and prolific recipe developer for the Kitchn website. Serve this board for lunch or a late-afternoon feast.

Dim Sum Celebration

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 40 minutesCook time: 40 minutesTotal time:2 hours 10 minutesServings:4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Char Siu Chicken Puffs

• 8 ounces (225 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp canola oil, plus more if needed
• 1/4 cup (35 g) finely diced yellow onion or shallots
• 3 tbsp char siu sauce, preferably Lee Kum Kee
• Two 8-ounce (225-g) sheets puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tsp water, for egg

Dumpling Dipping Sauce

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chile crunch
• Some chopped green onion

Sesame-Almond Shortbread

• 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (30 g) confectioners’ sugar
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

Glaze for Sesame-Almond Shortbread

• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 cup (100 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp milk, any fat percentage
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• Pinch of fine sea salt

Other Accompaniments

• Cooked frozen dumplings, potstickers, gyoza, or mini bao
• Shrimp chips and rice crackers
• Roasted and salted pistachios
• Clementine segments or whole with their leaves and sliced Asian pears

To Drink

• Jasmine tea or chrysanthemum tea

Instructions

Char Siu Chicken Puffs

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with the five-spice powder. In a small skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer to a cutting board to cool.
2. Add the onion to the pan, reducing the heat to medium-low and adding more oil if needed. Cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Finely chop the chicken. Add the chicken and char siu sauce to the onion in the pan and stir to combine. Transfer the chicken mixture to a container, spreading it into an even layer, seal tightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
3. Position two oven racks evenly in the oven and preheat to 400°F (205°C). Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
4. To assemble the puffs, roll out one sheet of the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a 1/8 (3 mm) thickness. Using a 3 1/2-inch (9-cm) round cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can (about 7 to 8 from each sheet). Top each round with a scant 1 tablespoonful of filling. Using a pastry brush, coat the edges of the rounds with a very thin layer of the egg wash. Fold the rounds in half and stretch the edges slightly while pressing them together to seal. Using the tines of a fork, crimp the sealed edges to seal completely. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and the remaining filling.
5. Transfer the pastries to the prepared sheet pans, spacing them evenly apart and placing half on each sheet pan. Give them one more reinforced crimp with a fork and then brush the tops lightly and evenly with the egg wash.
6. Bake until golden brown all over, 15 to 17 minutes. Let them cool on the pans for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, or let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 325°F (165°C) oven until warmed through, about 8 minutes.

Dumpling Dipping Sauce

7. To make a quick dipping sauce for dumplings, in a bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon chile crunch, and some chopped green onion.

Sesame-Almond Shortbread

8. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Using a narrow rubber spatula, scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolk and almond extract and beat on low speed for 1 minute. Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just blended in and the dough forms a mass around the paddle, about 1 minute.
9. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a smooth ball, then roll into a log about 5 1/2 inches (14 cm) long and 1 3/4 inches (4.5 cm) thick log. Place each log on a 12-inch (30.5-cm) sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Wrap the logs in the plastic, twisting the ends, closed, then roll the logs on the counter a few times to tighten the plastic wrap. Refrigerate the logs until firm, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
10. To bake the cookies, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
11. Unwrap one dough log and place on a cutting board. Trim the ends of the log, then cut it crosswise into rounds 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick to make 20 to 24 rounds. Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1/2 inch (12 mm) apart. Bake until lightly golden on the edges, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet from front to back halfway through baking. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat to slice and bake the second dough log on the same baking sheet.
12. To make the glaze, stir the sesame seeds together in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk, almond extract, and salt and whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies in a zigzag pattern. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Let stand until the glaze is set, about 20 minutes. Serve now or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Putting it together

13. On a large wooden board, arrange the char siu puffs, shortbread, shrimp chips, rice crackers, pistachios, clementines, and Asian pears. Garnish with any citrus leaves. On a separate plate or platter add the other cooked dumplings. Serve the dipping sauce nearby in a small dish. For your Lunar New Year board, add pops of red which signifies good fortune, vitality, celebration and prosperity and be sure to use six or eight components. The numbers six and eight are lucky in Chinese culture.

Keywords:Asian Food, Chinese Food, Recipe Roundup, Savory, Sweet

• Asian Food
• Chinese Food
• Recipe Roundup
• Savory
• Sweet