Juicy Shanghai Xiao Long Bao

To make the aspic, heat the stock until steaming, then whisk in the gelatin until fully dissolved. Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until firmly set. Dice the set aspic into small cubes.

For the dough, place the flour in a bowl and pour in the boiling water. Stir with chopsticks until a shaggy dough forms, then knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

Combine the ground pork, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, ginger, scallions, sugar, white pepper, and salt. Mix vigorously in one direction for 2 minutes until sticky.

Gently fold the diced aspic cubes into the pork mixture, being careful not to crush them. Refrigerate the filling until ready to wrap.

Divide the rested dough into 30 small pieces (about 10g each). Roll each piece into a very thin round wrapper about 3 inches across, keeping the center slightly thicker.

Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Pleat the edges with 16 to 18 tiny folds, working your way around the dumpling and twisting to seal at the top.

Place each dumpling on a small square of parchment in a bamboo steamer, leaving space between them.

Steam over vigorously boiling water for exactly 8 minutes.

Serve immediately in the steamer with a dipping sauce of black vinegar and ginger matchsticks. Lift each dumpling carefully with a spoon and bite a small hole to sip the soup before eating.