Recipe: Aløft’s Mushroom Dumplings
The truism “If it ain’t broke it, don’t fix it” holds special significance to a stalwart dish as Hobart’s Aløft Restaurant celebrates 10 years in 2025.
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(image: Jon Gazzignato)
As Aløft gears up to celebrate a decade of dining on Hobart’s waterfront with two exclusive experiences in mid-November, Co-Owner and Executive Chef Christian Ryan and Sous Chef Cam Brunton are sharing one of the restaurant’s OG recipes exclusively with Bottom of the World. Simplified here for the home cook, Aløft’s mushroom dumplings have been on the menu since day dot, and they’re not going anywhere soon.
“They turned out to be such a fan favourite that the dish has stuck around for the whole 10 years,” says Christian. “Just like everything else on our menu, our mushroom dumplings are all about Tasmanian ingredients - lots of local mushrooms, and native kunzea in the gastrique sauce - and celebrating local.”
While Aløft’s in-restaurant version features house-made dumpling dough, this recipe lets store-bought wonton wrappers do the heavy lifting, and skips the kunzea for a basic - but still delicious - gastrique. We still need a reason to visit Aløft and let the chefs do what they do best, after all.
Aløft Executive Chef Christian Ryan and Sous Chef Cam Brunton
INGREDIENTS
Dumplings
200g oyster mushrooms, finely chopped
200g shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
50ml sesame oil
1 bunch chives, finely sliced
50g ginger, finely diced
100ml grapeseed oil
salt, pepper and soy sauce, to season
wonton wrappers
Gastrique
50ml black vinegar
50ml red wine vinegar
100g caster sugar
To serve
Garlic-infused oil
METHOD
Heat sesame oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat. Add oyster and shiitake mushrooms and a good pinch of salt, and sauté until tender and lightly caramelised, adding more sesame oil if required. Set aside in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, combine chives, ginger and grapeseed oil in a medium bowl.
Add half of the chive and ginger mixture to the mushrooms, and season with salt, pepper and soy to taste.
Place small amount of dumpling mixture into centre of each dumpling wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water, and seal edges together.
Steam dumplings in batches for 8-10 minutes, then pan-fry in sesame oil over high heat until base is crispy.
To make the gastrique, combine the black and red wine vinegars in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Add sugar and stir to dissolve.
To serve, spoon gastrique onto base of plate and drizzle over garlic-infused oil. Top with dumplings, and garnish with remaining chive and ginger mixture.
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