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1
In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp and 2 teaspoons corns tarch.
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2
Let stand for 10 minutes.
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3
Rinse in several changes of cold water and drain well.
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4
Finely chop the shrimp and place in a medium bowl.
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5
Add the salt, egg white, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch.
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6
Stir in the bamboo shoots and minced bacon fat.
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7
Loosely wrap with plastic wrap and set aside.
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8
In a large bowl, combine the wheat starch and remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch, and stir to combine.
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9
Make a well and add 1 cup boiling water, immediately stirring with a rubber spatula as you add the water (the mixture will have a faint fragrance of wheat starch).
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10
Stir in the vegetable oil.
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11
Carefully begin working the mixture for a few seconds at a time by hand, as the mixture will be very hot.
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12
Add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons boiling water if dough is dry, and knead an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth and still hot to the touch.
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13
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.
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14
Roll each piece into a cylinder about 8 inches long.
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15
Place 3 rolls in a plastic bag so they will not get dry.
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16
Cut the remaining roll into 10 pieces.
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17
Place each piece of dough between 2 sheets of lightly oiled foil, place the foil in a tortilla press, and press into a thin round.
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18
Peel off the round of dough; it should be about 3 inches in diameter and a scant 1/8 inch thick.
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19
Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of a dough round.
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20
Fold in half to form a half-moon and pinch one end of the half-moon together.
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21
Using your thumb and index finger, make 4 or 5 small pleats in the front piece of dough, then pinch together the remaining end of the dough to seal the dumpling.
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22
Place the dumpling on a plate.
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23
Continue making dumplings.
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24
Line a bamboo steamer, metal tier, or rack with 2 cabbage leaves.
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25
Place the dumplings on the leaves 1/4 inch apart.
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26
The dumplings should be cooked in batches; the size of your steamer rack will determine how many dumplings can be cooked at one time.
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27
Bring water to a boil over high heat in a covered steamer.
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28
If using a rack, the water level must not touch the cabbage leaves.
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29
Carefully place the bamboo steamer, metal tier, or rack into the steamer, cover, and steam 5 minutes on high heat, or until the shrimp is orange and visible through the translucent dough, and is just cooked.
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30
Check the water level and replenish, if necessary, with boiling water.
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31
Carefully remove dumplings from the steamer.
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32
Dumplings should be served immediately.
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33
Continue steaming the remaining dumplings using fresh cabbage leaves and replenishing the steamer with more boiling water.
