Bamboozled

March 5, 2008 9:34 AM

Stupid Cooking Filter: How do you use a bamboo steamer?

Bought one yesterday on a whim. I found it in an Asian grocery store and it came with absolutely no instructions. So, after Googling around, this is what I did:

Took a large pot, put a few inches of water in the bottom (so it came just below the lowest level of the steamer), used a piece of parchment paper (didn't have any large lettuce leaves) on each of the two 'racks', and put the shumai on top of the parchment - I also stabbed the parchment a couple times with a knife so any water could drain down. I then put the lid on the steamer, and then the lid on the pot. I steamed them for about 25-30 minutes .

The end result was....to put it mildly... gross. The outside of the shumai were a doughy mess - almost pasty in texture (the dumpling wrapper was flour based). I tried to eat one and ended up spitting it out. I don't know if it was that it wasn't cooked, or if the bamboo had somehow imparted a wierd taste (I rinsed the steamer only with water first before using it.

So, now I have this nifty steamer sitting on my counter. Is it going to end up holding Post Its and spare keys or does it really have potential?

Thanks!

posted by dancinglamb to food & drink (19 comments total)

no need for parchment paper. only put an inch or two of water in the pot. also, the steamer should cover the top of the pot....you shouldn't need the pot lid.
posted by gnutron at 9:43 AM on March 5, 2008 [1 favorite]

Steamed dumplings are meant to be a bit pasty in texture. I like that stickiness on the outside and the weird chewy texture.

Sounds like you did them for too long, though - try less time, like 15 mins. Steam can take less time than you think.

Best bet: get all scientific. Put several in the steamer, add water and apply heat as you did before. Take a dumpling out every 5 minutes, cut in half and sample. You'll discover how long they take to get cooked just right.

But steamers are awesome: use them for fragrant fish and chicken (cover fillets in garlic, ginger, chilli, soy etc.), vegetables, you can even do a steamed version of baked custard using eggs, sugar and coconut milk.

Why not go back and ask in the shop? I've found asian shopkeepers really helpful, if a bit bemused at my being such a doofus.
posted by dowcrag at 9:44 AM on March 5, 2008

... and gnutron's right - the steamer should overlap the top of your pot, and you don't need your pot lid. Good luck!
posted by dowcrag at 9:45 AM on March 5, 2008

Seconding the overcooking. 25-30 minutes seems like an awfully long time to steam dumplings. Steam is hotter than boiling water, and when I (I know it's awful and boring) boil dumplings, it usually takes about 10-15 minutes....
posted by Grither at 9:51 AM on March 5, 2008

We use ours all the time - no parchement paper, just food right on the wood.
We've also used our steamer for cooking tamales, sausage and cabbage, potstickers, foil packets of fish and veggies - all very fast, and no need to stay in the kitchen, which is a plus for me.
posted by korej at 9:55 AM on March 5, 2008

Thirding that the steamer should snugly sit on the lip /top of the pot, without parchment paper. But if the dumpling or whatever you're steaming comes with parchment paper stuck to the bottom of it, you can leave those on. So if you don't have the right size pot, you're SOL. Also, make sure you thoroughly dry it before putting it away, or else you'll get mold.
posted by jujube at 10:04 AM on March 5, 2008

I use mine to steam veggies (being a veg-head) and I echo all above. Just put it over a suitably sized pan with just water, no lid and you really dont need wax paper unless your doing meat. Put the veggies in (or whatever) knowing that the stuff you put on the bottom will cook faster than those on top. For example, carrots take longer to cook than asparagus, so they go on the bottom or in a bit earlier if you're using just one layer.
posted by elendil71 at 10:05 AM on March 5, 2008

And here's to hope you didn't attempt to steam frozen food. I steam unfrozen Baozi for 10 to 15 minutes, after leaving them under a wet paper towel at room temperature for a couple of hours. Top results, same for fresh-made.
posted by themel at 11:14 AM on March 5, 2008

themel, they were frozen. D'oh! A huge problem was that none of this stuff had cooking instructions in English. I guess that's what I get for buying 'authentic' stuff...

OK. So, now that I feel like even more of an idiot for doing the parchment and putting it IN the pot instead of on top, I will have to find a pot that it fits on.

Next, how do you wash it? Just rinse in hot water? Does the bamboo need to be seasoned?

jujube, thanks for the tip re: the mold. (Icky!).

(Sorry if these seem like completely stoopid questions. I swear that with traditional Western cooking items, I'm at the opposite end of the knowledge spectrum ;) ).
posted by dancinglamb at 11:54 AM on March 5, 2008

Why not go back and ask in the shop? I've found asian shopkeepers really helpful, if a bit bemused at my being such a doofus.


Hmmmm....Not so much in this place. I went there in December to buy my 5yo one of those Good Luck Cats for her birthday (long story). They were most unhelpful, indeed. It just happens that they're particularly local, and I was jonesing for some noodles yesterday after seeing this. And, well, one thing led to another and I came home with the steamer, the shumai and some amazingly rocking roast pork buns.
posted by dancinglamb at 12:02 PM on March 5, 2008

gnutron has the right answer
posted by KokuRyu at 12:19 PM on March 5, 2008

I've also used mine in my wok. I have a large wok so my medium-ish sized two-layer steamer (sans lid) fits inside with the wok lid over the top. I keep it off the bottom with chopsticks. Works well and I didn't have to buy another pot just to use my steamer.
posted by a_green_man at 12:34 PM on March 5, 2008

I buy frozen dumplings, the only way I've found that works is they have to thoroughly thawed before steaming or they'll still be frozen in the middle when the outside is done. And yeah, 25 minutes is way to long.
posted by doctor_negative at 12:55 PM on March 5, 2008

Overcooking doesn't make that doughy mess, though--it makes hard transparent, almost raw-noodle-like wrappers. The doughy mess comes, iirc, from trying to steam shumai that were meant to be boiled.
posted by Phred182 at 4:08 PM on March 5, 2008

Phred182 - The doughy mess comes, iirc, from trying to steam shumai that were meant to be boiled.

I don't think YRC, Phred. Every recipe I've ever seen for shumai (and I've made my own wrappers from flour) is exactly the same, up until the "then boil/steam/fry in oil" portion of the recipe.

I'm going with over-steamed.

However, as for not using lettuce or wrapping paper, I've found shumai tend to stick to the bamboo surfaces without it. I've also used waxed paper. The sticking isn't awful - the shumai don't come apart, if taken off with a spatula, but it makes for harder cleanup.
posted by IAmBroom at 4:31 PM on March 5, 2008

I have a crappy old steel wok, with a flat base, which is perfect for use with these.

Definitely agree that you over steamed the dumplings. I wipe the base of my bamboo steamer with a bit of oil, sesame oil tastes best, and that stops them sticking.
posted by tomble at 7:36 PM on March 5, 2008

Re: the washing - I never did anything particular to it, just hot water and a bit of soap to get rid of any juices.
posted by themel at 11:21 PM on March 5, 2008

I forgot to mention that if you use mustard greens instead of lettuce it will impart a slight spiciness to the dumplings. Very yummy IMO.
posted by a_green_man at 12:23 AM on March 6, 2008

Just another thing... aluminum foil on the bottom, poked with holes between every slat,
inch or so of water in the wok, yesterday's rice.... OM NOM NOM.
posted by zengargoyle at 11:57 AM on March 6, 2008