Shanghai soup dumplings (Xiaolongbao)

1. For the aspic, bring the water to the boil with the ginger, spring onion, Shaoxing rice wine and salt, simmer for 5 minutes, strain and dissolve the soaked, squeezed gelatine in it; pour into a flat dish and chill for at least 2 hours until set.

2. Stir the minced pork with the soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, sugar, sesame oil and white pepper in one direction for 2 minutes; cut the set aspic into tiny cubes and fold gently into the meat.

3. Knead the flour with the salt and water into a smooth dough, rest for 30 minutes, then divide into 24 pieces and roll each into a thin 8 cm round, leaving the edge thinner and the centre thicker.

4. Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre of each round, gather the edge up in 14-18 small pleats and twist closed at the top.

5. Place the dumplings in a steamer lined with baking paper and steam over rapidly boiling water for 8 minutes.

6. Add hair-thin strips of ginger to the black rice vinegar; lift a dumpling onto a spoon, bite a small hole, sip out the broth, then dip it in the sauce and eat.

Tip: The soup comes from the aspic: it melts during steaming and turns into hot broth inside the dumpling. It's traditionally made with an aspic of simmered pork skin – gelatine is a simple, reliable home substitute.