How to Make Fu Pei Guen: Chinese Bean Curd Rolls with Mushrooms

The home cook looking for a dim sum favorite that doubles as a weeknight dinner need look no further than fu pei guen, or Chinese bean curd rolls. This dish wraps a savory pork-and-mushroom filling in delicate bean curd skin, then browns and steams the rolls until tender. According to the recipe, three different types of mushrooms—fresh enoki, dried shiitake, and dried wood ear—add a variety of textures and layers of earthy flavor. Browning the rolls first in a skillet, then steaming them until cooked through, creates rolls with a depth of flavor and moist tenderness. 🥢

At the heart of the dish is bean curd skin, known as fu pei in Chinese and yuba in Japanese. Fresh bean curd skin is a delicacy made from fresh soy milk: it is smooth, a little sweet, and has a mild soybean flavor. Much the way a skin can form on top of warm cow's milk, bean curd skin is made by boiling soy milk, then leaving it to stand until a thin skin forms on top. It is then carefully lifted off in sheets. While fresh skins can be a little hard to find, the dried version is readily available at most Asian supermarkets, usually sold as long sticks or sheets. In stick form, bean curd skins work well in congee, braises, soups, and stir-fries. The sheets, meanwhile, are a little more delicate than the sticks, best used in soups and as wrappers—which is exactly how they are used here.

The recipe begins with the pork filling, an easy mixture of ground pork with flavorful ingredients like Shaoxing rice wine, soy sauce, wood ear mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. The full list for the filling includes 1/2 pound ground pork, 1/4 ounce dried wood ear mushrooms (soaked in warm water until tender, then drained and chopped), 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine, 1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. All of these are mixed in a large bowl and refrigerated for at least 30 minutes or overnight. ⏲️

For the rolls themselves, the recipe calls for 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in warm water until tender, then drained and thinly sliced), 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 3 teaspoons vegetable or peanut oil (divided), 6 (11- by 7-inch) sheets dried bean-curd skin, 3 1/2 ounces enoki mushrooms, and 1 small carrot (peeled and julienned). The shiitake mushrooms are mixed with soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon oil, then set aside in the refrigerator.

To rehydrate the bean curd sheets, the cook soaks them one at a time in a dish of warm water. Each one doesn't take more than a minute or so to loosen up. Care is needed when lifting them, because they can tear once softened. After each sheet is soaked, they are stacked on a plate, separating the layers with paper towels, which help absorb extra moisture.

To form the rolls, a bean curd skin is spread on a work surface and some of the filling is placed near the top of the rectangular sheet. Then a few fresh enoki mushrooms are added, along with some thinly sliced carrot and marinated shiitake mushrooms. The top edge of the bean curd skin is folded over the filling, and the sides are folded in. Then the filling is rolled toward the cook. The final roll should be nice and neat.

After assembling all of the rolls, they are browned in a skillet, which adds color and deepens their flavor. Then each roll is cut in half and arranged in a baking dish.

Once that is done, the sauce is made—quick to whip up since it is thickened with cornstarch rather than slowly reduced. The sauce ingredients are 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth (or 1 cup water plus 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder), 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 2 scallions (white and light green parts only, julienned, divided). The sauce is poured on top of the rolls, and some thinly sliced scallions are scattered over them.

The whole thing is steamed in a wok until the filling has cooked through, using a baking dish that will hold all of the rolls but also fits in the wok. Any steaming setup that can be rigged will work—a wok and bamboo steamer, or an improvised rack. Once they are cooked, more fresh scallions are added on top and the dish is served.

Component	Key Ingredients	Notes
Pork Filling	Ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, sesame oil, cornstarch, garlic, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, salt, sugar	Mix and refrigerate 30 min or overnight
Rolls	Dried shiitake, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, oil, dried bean curd sheets, enoki mushrooms, carrot	Soak sheets carefully; roll tightly
Sauce	Chicken stock, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, sugar, cornstarch slurry, sesame oil, scallions	Thickened with cornstarch for speed

Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 30 minutes, and resting time is 30 minutes, for a total of 1 hour 20 minutes. The recipe yields 4 to 6 servings. Fresh bean curd skin can be hard to find, but the dried version works well here and is readily available at most Asian supermarkets. The rolls can be formed and pan-fried a day in advance, then steamed the next day before serving. 🍄 This dish is a wonderful way to bring dim sum flavors home—whether for a weekend project or a comforting dinner with rice.