S.E.A. Shu Mai From Jungle Navigation Company LTD Skipper Canteen

As you may be able to tell, we love the food at the Walt Disney World Resort. We have a lot of favorite dining spots that we hit every single visit; some in the resorts and some in the parks.

Today, our Disney Dish comes from one restaurant we never miss when we visit Magic Kingdom; the Jungle Navigation Company LTD Skipper Canteen. We adore that place. The menu is extremely diverse and the “campiness” that caries over from the Jungle Cruise is just plain fun. We enjoy so much of their food but there is one appetizer we order nearly every time; the S.E.A. Shu Mai. It’s the perfect way to start another memorable meal at the Most Magical Place on Earth.

So, we thought, “why not make it at home, as well?”

Well, that’s what we’re doing today.

Let’s Get Cooking!

The Ingredients

One of the great things about this dish is that the ingredients are, relatively, easy to find. That isn’t always the case with Asian influenced dishes. However, the components for our S.E.A. Shu Mai (which you can see in the above photo) should be readily available at your favorite super market.

Creating The Filling (The Easy Part)

Creating the filling for our S.E.A. Shu Mai is a pretty simple procedure. You’re, essentially, creating a pork and shrimp sausage mixture in your food processor or meat grinder. I know that sounds a little complex but it really isn’t. Here’s how you get it done.

Put all of the filling ingredients (Pork, Shrimp, Edamame, Shallots, Water Chestnuts, Water Chestnuts, Arugula, Fish Sauce, Sriracha, Salt & Pepper) in a food processor (or meat grinder if you have one…I don’t) and grind together until the mixture is smooth and well blended.

It really is that simple!

Creating The Dumplings (The Hard Part)

This is where this dish gets a bit more difficult and takes a little practice. There’s quite a bit of finesse that’s needed when you stuff and fold the won ton wrappers. It will, definitely, take some trial and error.

• First, you’ll need to figure out how much of the pork and shrimp mixture to place in each won ton wrapper. The recipe says to use 2 tablespoons but I found that to be just a bit too much. For me, about 1 1/2 tablespoons was a bit easier to work with.

Place your desired amount of the pork and sausage mixture in the middle of a single won ton wrapper. Using your fingers, dab a small amount of water around the edges of the wrapper to help with sealing. Then lift the sides of the won ton around the mixture and seal in whatever way you desire leaving a little of the filling showing on the top. I used a similar “pleating” fold to what they use on this dish in the Jungle Navigation Company LTD Skipper Canteen as you can see in the picture below.

Don’t Get Frustrated

Now, when you look at the photo above, you may think, “wow, this guy has some pleating skills”. Well, let’s just say they didn’t all turn out like that one (as you can see in the photo below). As a matter of fact, I’m not sure I made another that looks as good as that one. (That’s why it’s the one in the picture) This is not an easy process. As I said before, it takes some practice. Don’t be frustrated if they don’t come out perfectly every time. The more you do it, the better you’ll get and they’re still tasty even if they don’t have the “perfect pleats”

Once you have folded your desired amount of dumplings, you can reserve them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook and serve them.

Creating The Dipping Sauce (Okay, This May Actually Be The Easiest Part)

The dipping sauce they serve with this dish at the Jungle Navigation Company LTD Skipper Canteen is a very simple one. As a matter of fact, it only has two listed ingredients; Soy Sauce and Sambal Oelek. All you need to do is whisk the two together and you’re good to go.

• I however, do not like this sauce that much as it is. It’s just spicy and salty to me. I like a little more depth in my sauces. So, I added a little bit (about 1/2 tablespoon) of Brown Sugar to the mixture. I find the sweetness balances the heat and salt levels. You can experiment with the flavors to find what works best for you. Better yet, use this sauce that I was taught in culinary school. It really is a wonderful all-purpose sauce for most Asian-inspired dishes.

Cooking Your S.E.A. Shu Mai

This is another easy process. Place the dumplings in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water. Cover and steam for 8 to 10 minutes. You can be sure the inside is cooked properly by inserting an instant read thermometer into the center of the dumpling. If the temperature reaches 145ºF, they’re good to go!

Plating Our S.E.A. Shu Mai

Once your dumplings have finished steaming, it’s time to serve them up immediately. Place them on your desired serving plate or platter. Because these are steamed, the meat may look a little gray so you’ll want to add a little brightness to your plate. The easiest, and best tasting, way to do this is by scattering a few of the sliced Green Onions over the top just like in the photo above. Top with a sprinkle of the Toasted Sesame seed and serve with the dipping sauce. There you have it!

Final Conclusion

This is another fantastic Disney Dish and one that’s not really that difficult to create (if you don’t worry too much about the folding, that is). These small purses of joy pack an amazing amount of flavor. You get a richness from the pork and a touch of sweetness from the shrimp. There’s also a touch of heat from the Sriracha, umami from the Fish Sauce. It just balances beautifully.

The fact that you can build your dumplings ahead of time and cook them up in a virtual snap makes them perfect for anything from an intimate date-night dinner to a large party.

Definitely make this Disney Dish!

 

S.E.A. Shu Mai

 

Shu Mai Filling

• 1/2 lb – Pork Shoulder – Cut Into 2″ Cubes
• 1/4 lb – Uncooked Shrimp – Peeled & Deveined
• 1/4 cup – Water Chestnuts
• 2 tbls – Shallots – Sliced
• 2 tbls – Edamame – Shelled
• 1/4 cup – Arugula
• 1/2 tsp – Fish Sauce
• 1/2 tsp – Sriracha
• 1/4 tsp – Kosher or Sea Salt
• 1/8 tsp – Black Pepper – Freshly Ground
• Won Ton Wrappers

Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup – Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1 tbls – Sambal Oelek

Garnish

• 2 – Green Onions – Sliced
• 1/2 tsp – Sesame Seeds – Toasted

Directions:

• In a food processor or meat grinder, grind together the Pork Shoulder, Shrimp, Water Chestnuts, Shallots, Edamame, Arugula, Fish Sauce, Sriracha, Salt & Pepper until well blended and smooth.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons of the filling mixture in to the center of each Won Ton Wrapper
• Lightly dab the edges of the Won Ton Wrappers with water and gently fold the sides around the mixture, crimping as you go. Leave the top of the meat exposed.
• Place the completed dumplings in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water. Cover and steam for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Top with sliced Green Onions and toasted Sesame Seeds and serve immediately with the dipping sauce on the side.

If you have any questions about this, or any of our Disney Dishes, please hit me up in the comments below. You can also get in touch with us through our Contact Page or by email.

Be sure to check out our other Disney Dishes

Hoisin Sticky Spare Ribs from Morimoto Asia

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb from Blue Bayou Restaurant

Ratatouille from Ratatouille

Peanut Butter Blondies from Sweet On You