Hot and Sour Soup with Maine Lobster Dumplings

A Chinese restaurant favorite—hot and sour soup—is given gourmet status with the addition of succulent lobster dumplings.

Recipe Ingredients:

Hot and Sour Soup:
2-inches ginger, peeled and chopped
3 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup dashi (bonito flake broth)
1/2 cup lobster stock
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
3/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoon sesame oil
2-ounces hot chili oil
1 cup sake
6 scallion greens

Dumpling Filling:
1/3 pound scallops
2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Zest and juice of one lemon
2/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sweet butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 pound lobster meat, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup sliced chives or scallions
2 tablespoons ginger, minced finely
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 package won ton skins
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Garnishes:
Scallion greens, sliced on the bias
Toasted black and white sesame seeds

Cooking Directions:

1. For Hot and Sour Soup: In a large saucepot, sweat the ginger and shallots in the oil until well heated and the shallots begin to soften.
2. Deglaze the pan with the dashi, lobster stock, and vegetable stock. Add the rice wine vinegar, Mirin, the sesame oil, and the chili oil. Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer slowly for 20 minutes.
3. At this point, check the sweet, sour, and spicy elements of the broth. If necessary, add more of the vinegar, mirin, or chili oil. Remember, balance is the goal. If ingredients are added, allow broth to simmer five more minutes to properly incorporate the flavors.
4. Add the sake and the scallions and continue simmering for 10 minutes or until the raw taste of the sake disappears. Strain this broth through a fine strainer such as a chinois and set aside.
5. For Dumplings: Place scallops, salt, pepper, and lemon zest and juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse these ingredients together a few times. With machine running, slowly add the olive oil and continue processing until the mixture is smooth. Add the butter and process until smooth again. Remove the mixture from the food processor and fold in the remaining ingredients.
6. To assemble the dumplings, lay out several of the won ton wrappers on a flat surface and brush the edges with the beaten egg mixture. Place a small amount of the lobster/scallop filling in the middle of each won ton wrapper and fold the wrapper over the filling and carefully seal the edges of the dumpling.
7. To Assemble the Soup: Preheat 8 soup plates. Cook the dumplings in a pot of boiling water for 4 minutes, drain and place 3 to 5 dumplings in each bowl. Ladle the soup into the bowls and garnish each with toasted sesame seeds and the scallions.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe provided courtesy of Maine Lobster Promotion Council.