I won't lie to you: these little babies are slightly complicated to make. There is most definitely a knack to them, and if my description below doesn't paint an easy picture for you, search "make dim sum" on youtube and you’ ll find hundreds of demonstration videos.  They are highly impressive when you present them at the table in the bamboo steamer, with steam still billowing out. Makes 30.

The Method

Combine the pork, ground prawns, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, egg white and cornflour in a bowl. Fill another bowl full of cold water.

Place one dumpling skin in the palm of your hand and spread about one teaspoon of the meat mixture in the centre of the skin. Make sure you leave at least 1-2cm of the skin uncovered by the meat mixture.

Using your finger, dab a little water all the way around the skin, then fold it over to meet the other side. Now use one hand to feed the skin towards the other, which will press the sides together little by little until the dumpling is formed.

Repeat with the rest of the filling. Place a little water in a wok and bring to the boil. Place a damp cloth in the bottom of a bamboo steamer and pop in your dumplings. This will stop them sticking to the bottom.

Cover the steamer and place in the wok, and cook for five to eight minutes until the skins have turned white and almost translucent. Serve straight away with a little soy sauce for dipping.