Steamed tiger prawn and scallop dumplings with XO dressing

Chef CRAIG WILL of Stillwater Restaurant shows how to craft elegant dumplings, where shellfish are the hook.

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TASMANIA'S ACCESS TO COASTLINES IS UNPARALLELED, RESULTING IN CHEFS being able to procure some of the country's best seafood. One place that makes the most of this is Stillwater Restaurant. Located on the Tamar estuary, the Launceston venue has a distinctly personal hospitality offering in both its restaurant and its boutique accommodation. Chef and co-owner Craig Will centres local seafood in this delicate dumpling dish, a favourite in the restaurant, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. “Tasmanian scallops are one of my favourite ingredients to work with, and this is just one of the ways in which I showcase how delicious they are,” says Will. “Adding prawns to the dumplings creates a firmer texture, without dominating that iconic scallop flavour.” To match the neat dumplings, he crafts a pungent XO sauce using abalone sourced from the island’s rugged coast. “The abalone XO sauce recipe is one that I've been refining for years, since I started using black-lip abalone on the Stillwater menu,” says Will. “By utilising the frill of the abalone, no part of the meat is wasted, and it adds a sweet flavour and interesting texture to the sauce.”

Step by step

MAKES 30 // PREP 1 HR 20 MINS // COOK 1 HR 20 MINS (PLUS SOAKING, COOLING)

• 1 packet gow gee dumpling wrappers (see note) Micro coriander and micro purple radish, to serve Coriander flowers and purple society garlic flowers, to serve XO SAUCE

• 75 gm dried prawns (see note)

• 25 gm dried scallops (see note)

• 15 dried long red chillies (about 8gm)

• 375 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil

• 100 gm green-lip abalone, cleaned and diced

• 2 golden shallots, finely chopped

• 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 50 gm prosciutto, finely chopped