Making shrimp cheung fun — the steamed, rice paper shrimp rolls often seen on dim sum carts — from scratch is labor intensive. Using store-bought rice paper rolls allows these to be made with about 5 minutes of active cooking time, and less than 15 minutes total time in the kitchen.
Easy-Peasy, Dim Sum-Style Steamed Shrimp Rolls
8 sheets round rice paper, aka Vietnamese spring roll skins
24 medium shrimp (I used 31-40 per lb), peeled & deveined
2 scallions
2-3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
Sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha or Asian style chili sauce (optional)
Mix all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Slice, then mince, dark green parts only of the scallions.
Heat a few inches of water in a large, lidded pot that can hold a steamer insert. (If you have a bamboo steamer, that works as well.) Oil a large sheet of parchment paper and place it on the steamer insert, but do not place the insert into the pot yet.
Put two large dinner plates or shallow bowls, wide enough to fit the rice paper, side by side, one filled with cold water and the other lightly oiled.
Dip one rice paper wrapper at a time in the cold water, submerging each side for a few seconds each. Lay rice paper flat on the oiled plate. About 1/3 of the way from the right edge of the paper, scatter a vertical line of minced scallions. Lay three shrimp on top, also in a vertical line.
Fold the right edge over the shrimp, tucking it under them. Then continue to roll from right to left. Place roll on the parchment paper, with the final edge on the bottom.
Repeat with 3 more wrappers, being careful that when placing each roll in the steamer that it does not touch the other rolls. If your steamer is too small to accommodate 4 rolls without touching, consider making smaller batches.
Steam about 5 minutes, until shrimp show pink through the skin.
Place a spoonful of sauce on the plate, then carefully remove the steamed rolls onto the plate, again being careful they do not touch. Cover cooked rolls with a few more spoonfuls of sauce.
Repeat with remaining 4 skins.
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