Hot and Sour Soup Dumplings

Time for filling #4! I am a HUGE fan of soup dumplings; I just love drinking up the soup inside and then taking a large bite of the remaining delicious dumpling~! If you’ve never tried them, definitely give this recipe a shot, and you’ll have your first soup dumplings made especially by you! Don’t worry; they aren’t complicated to make, and are fun to make, just like the rest of the dumplings! Go for it!

(makes 20 dumplings)

Ingredients:

Chicken Consommé

·      1.5 lb chicken wings

·      2 oz Smithfield ham

·      ½ cup scallions, sliced, white parts only

·      1 oz fresh ginger, sliced and peeled

·      2 dried shiitake mushrooms

·      1 large garlic clove, peeled

·      1 tbsp soy sauce

·      1 tsp Shaoxing wine

·      1 packet powdered unflavored gelatin

·      1/8 cup cold water

Filling

·      8 oz fatty ground pork

·      2 tbsp scallions, minced

·      1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

·      1 tbsp soy sauce

·      2 tsp Chinese black vinegar

·      1 tsp sugar

·      1 tsp fresh ginger, minced and peeled

·      ½ tsp minced garlic

·      ½ tsp chili oil

·      ¼ tsp salt

·      1/8 tsp cayenne

·      1 cup Chicken Consommé

Wheat Flour Wrappers

·      2.5 cups all purpose flour

·      ¾ cup hot, but not boiling, water

·      1 tbsp vegetable oil

·      ¼ cup cold water

To make the Chicken Consommé…

Add the chicken wings, ham, scallions, ginger, mushrooms, garlic, soy sauce, wine, and 5 cups of water to a large stockpot. Bring it to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat to obtain a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for 2 hours, adding more water if the liquid level falls below the lines of the solids. In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and cold water. Remove the stockpot from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture. Strain the stock into an airtight container, pushing down on the solids to extract more liquid. Refrigerate the stock until cold and set, about 4 hours or up to 5 days.

To make the dumplings…

Combine all the ingredients besides the Chicken Consommé in a large bowl. Use your hands to evenly distribute the ingredients. Add the consommé and gently fold it in. Cover and refrigerate the filling for about an hour or up to 2 days.

To make the dough wrappers…

Put the flour in a large bowl and, while constantly stirring, add the hot water in a steady stream, then the oil, and then the cold water. Knead the dough until everything is fully combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and kneed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for half an hour.

To wrap the dumplings…

To wrap the dumplings, start by taking the dough and dividing it into 20 balls. Take each dough ball, flatten slightly, and roll out the dough ball into a thin, round sheet, making sure that there is a bit of a thick section right in the middle of the dough round. Scoop a 1-2 tsp of filling into the center of the wrapper, then bring up the sides of the dough to the center and twist and pinch to seal the dumping shut. Follow the instructions here to steam the dumplings.

Mapo Tofu Dumpings

And now filling #3! I bet you didn’t see this filling coming! You’ll realize as more dumpling filling recipes come out, the fillings become more and more unique and fun, so look forward to them! If you’ve never had Mapo Tofu before, you should definitely give it a try! And if you don’t like tofu, Mapo Tofu is the way to give tofu a try because it has lots of pork and is deliciously spicy; the best combo needed to practice eating tofu. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

·      4 oz fatty ground pork

·      ¼ tsp salt

·      ½ tsp minced garlic

·      ½ lb soft tofu, patted dry and finely diced

·      ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions

·      1.5 tbsp chili oil

·      1 tsp dobujang (fermented soy bean paste)

·      ½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns, roasted and crushed

·      ¼ tsp sugar

·      ¼ tsp crushed red chile flakes

·      ½ lb round dumplings wrappers

Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and salt, and cook while stirring and break the meat apart into smaller pieces until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add the tofu, scallions, chili oil, dobujang, peppercorns, sugar, and chili flakes. Fold the ingredients together using a spatula until evenly mixed. Cover and refrigerate for an hour, or up to two days. Use this page to fold and cook your dumplings!

Szechuan Wontons in Chili Oil

Here’s filling #2! These are spicy spicy spicy, but they are so delicious you just have to keep eating them! They have a beautiful garlic flavor, and I absolutely love the Szechuan peppercorn flavor in the chili sauce that accompanies these dumplings. Have a yummy time!

(makes 20-25 dumplings)

Ingredients:

·      1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns, toasted

·      1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted

·      ¾ cup peanut oil

·      ¼ cup coconut oil

·      ¼ cup dried Chinese red chilies, finely chopped

·      2 garlic cloves, minced

·      Salt

·      ½ lb fatty ground pork

·      1 beaten egg

·      1.5 tsp Shaoxing wine

·      ½ tsp sesame oil

·      ¼ tsp salt

·      1/8 tsp grated fresh ginger

·      1/8 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth

·      ½ lb round dumpling wrappers

To make the chili oil…

Coarsely grind the peppercorns and fennel seeds using a mortar and pestle. Heat the two oils in a small saucepan until hot but not smoking. Add the chilies, garlic, and peppercorn mixture. As soon as the chilies turn a darker shade of red, remove the pan from the heat. Let the oil cool completely, then season with salt to taste. The oil can be refrigerated for up to two weeks in an airtight container, but bring to room temperature before using it.

To make the dumplings…

Combine the pork, egg, wine, sesame oil, salt, and ginger in a large bowl. Use your hands to evenly distribute the ingredients. Add the chicken broth and fold in. Cover and refrigerate the filling for an hour, or up to two days. Go here to wrap the dumplings like Tortellini. Boil your dumplings in salted water for about 6 minutes, drain, and immediately transfer to a large bowl with the chili oil. Toss gently to coat, divide amongst serving dishes and enjoy!!!

Classic Pork and Chinese Chive Dumplings

Filling #1! These are the most basic pork dumplings, and there is no denying that they are simple, juicy, and mega yummy! Have fun!

(makes 20-25 dumplings)

Ingredients:

·      ¾ lb Napa cabbage, very finely chopped

·      ¼ cup finely chopped onion

·      2 tsp salt

·      ½ lb fatty ground pork

·      ¼ cup finely chopped scallions

·      ¼ cup chives

·      1 beaten egg

·      1.5 tsp cornstarch

·      1 tbsp soy sauce

·      1 tsp minced garlic

·      ½ tsp minced fresh ginger

·      ½ tsp sesame oil

·      ½ tsp black pepper

·      ½ lb round dumpling wrappers

Combine the cabbage, onion, and 1 tsp salt. Let stand for at least 10 minutes while preparing everything else. Squeeze out as much of the liquid from the cabbage mixture once it’s done sitting. Transfer the cabbage mixture to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients besides the wrappers. Use your hands to evenly distribute everything. Cover a refrigerate the filling for an hour, or up to two days. Use this page to fold and cook your dumplings!

Dumpling Madness!

Dumplings are definitely among my top 5 foods in the world! It is consumed by the billions every year and is popular amongst all types of people. I went through a huge dumpling craving right before the spring semester began, so I decided to make a bunch of different types altogether! And then the week after that I made a bunch of dumplings for Chinese New Year, so I had quite a few dumplings in January! So I’ve decided that the next few weeks will be full of dumpling recipes! Today’s post will describe simple folding techniques for the dumplings, how to fry and steam the dumplings, and a couple sauce ideas! The blog posts after this one will be filling recipes for the dumplings. Enjoy your dumplings~!

How to fold dumplings

There are tons of different ways to fold dumplings, but I will describe three different simple folding ideas so that you’ll be able to put together your dumplings. Don’t worry if they look beautiful or not, what matters is how yummy they’ll be when they’re done! For all the dumplings, make sure you have dumpling wrappers, a small bowl of water, a plate for the wrapped dumplings, and a nice bowl of your filling!

Crescent Moon

This is the simplest of them all! Place 1-2 tsp filling in the center of the wrapper, use your finger to wipe some water along the rim of the wrapper, and fold the wrapper in half. Gently but firmly pinch the dumpling shut so that the dumpling won’t break while cooking. You’re all set!

Ruffled

This one is a bit more complicated, but still fairly simple! It’ll take you a bit of practice, but you’ll get the hang of it! Repeat the process above for the Crescent, then fold the sealed edges (where you just sealed the dumpling shut) like a paper fan. Make sure you squeeze shut so that the ruffles stay together. Done!

Tortellini

This one is more complicated as well, but it’s super adorable and gets easier with practice. Create the Crescent, and then sit the dumpling up so that it stands on its own with the sealed edges pointing upward. Bring the two tips on the sides over, overlap them and seal with water. You now should have something that looks like a tortellini!

How to fry dumplings

Frying dumplings could never be easier! You just have to set everything up and let it sit for the allotted time, and then you’re done! To start, get a non-stick frying pan with a lid, cover the bottom with oil, and begin arranging the dumplings on the bottom of the pan (it’s okay if they’re touching each other). Add 3 tbsp water, set the pan over medium heat, and cover. Just let the dumplings cook now. Once you hear a popping sound coming from the pan, set your timer for 7 minutes. Once that time is up, evacuate the dumplings off the pan and onto a plate. And look at that, you’re all done!!! If you need to keep them warm, tent the dumpling plate with foil and place in a 200ºF oven. They’ll stay warm and yummy as you make more dumplings!

How to steam dumplings

This is a very simple way to cook your dumplings! Steaming is always used for soup dumplings, but this method can also be used for any dumpling you’d like! You’ll need a steaming basket to do this, so make sure you get one. They aren’t expensive and are definitely worth the purchase. To start, line the bottom of the steaming basket with Napa Cabbage leaves, and then place the dumplings on top of the leaves, making sure they don’t touch each other. Place the steaming basket over a wide pot of simmering water and steam for 8 minutes. Keep the dumplings in the steam basket when serving; it adds to the effect!

Sauce ideas

There are two common-but-popular sauces that are excellent pairings for all the dumpling recipes I’ll be putting up soon, so I’ll be sharing those with you! Enjoy!

SOY-VINEGAR DIP

            Ingredients:

·      ¼ cup soy sauce

·      2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

·      1 garlic clove, crushed

·      ¼ tsp black pepper

Combine all the ingredients with 2 tbsp water. Store in the fridge until ready to use/eat!

TOASTED SESAME-SOY DIP

Ingredients:

·      ¼ cup soy sauce

·      2 tbsp rice wing vinegar

·      1 tsp toasted sesame oil

·      1 garlic clove, crushed

·      1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

·      1.5 tsp chili oil

·      Pinch of black pepper

Combine all the ingredients with 2 tbsp water. Store in the fridge until ready to use/eat!

Kitchen Hacks Part VII

Hello~! It's been a while since my last hacks post, so here it is! Hope these tips will help you out when you venture into the kitchen ^_^

1.     To prevent your eggs from rolling all over the counter, either use a recycled egg carton container (in which you can place the egg shells afterwards) or rest the egg in a thick large rubber band.

2.     If you want to create round, not-broken poached eggs, crack the egg into a small dish and pour the egg slowly and gently into the pot of simmering water.

3.     To easily remove pinbones from a fish, drape the fish, flesh-side up, over an inverted size-appropriate mixing bowl. This causes the bones to stick up and out so they’re easier to see and remove.

4.     Prevent your fish from sticking to your grill by placing a few thin slices of a citrus fruit on the cooking grate and resting the fish on top.

5.     If you’d like to hasten the ripening of hard fruits, place the unripe fruit in a brown paper bag with ripe fruit, such as bananas, and let it sit for a day.

Not Baked?! Grilled Bread with Honey Butter

I’m sure that you’re aware of the fact that breads for the most part are baked, but what about this recipe? That’s right, we’ll be grilling bread! There is absolutely zero baking involved; all the cooking will be done on your stove. This bread is dense and delicious and you can pair it with another dish, or turn it into a flatbread! And it comes with a lovely pairing of honey butter, but feel free to make the butter and use it for other things; it is just so good ^_^ Have fun!

Ingredients:

·      1 ¼ cup warm water

·      1 tsp active dry yeast

·      3 cups bread flour

·      2 tbsp olive oil

·      1 tsp salt

·      1 tsp dried herbs (I used parsley, oregano, thyme, and basil)

·      1 tsp minced fresh garlic

·      ½ tsp pepper

·      1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, softened

·      ½ cup honey

Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl until dissolved. Add the flour, olive oil, and salt, and mix until a dough ball can be formed. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and no longer sticky. Place the ball in a clean bowl lightly greased with oil, turn once to coat, and let it rise for 1-2 hours at room temperature, or 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, you can make the honey butter. Place the honey in a small pot on the stove and heat to 235ºF (soft-ball). Once it’s reached temperature, quickly transfer the honey to a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed until cooled to room temperature. Add the butter and continue to beat until thoroughly combined. Place in a small bowl and set aside for now.

Combine the dried herbs, garlic, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Preheat a grill (or a stove-grill pan, which is what I used) on medium heat. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form into flat rounds. Let each round rest for a minute, then roll as thin as you’d like (you can leave it fairly thick if you want to eat it by itself, or you can roll it really thin if you’ll use it for a pizza/flatbread). Brush the tops with olive oil, and place them oil side-down onto the grill, brushing the tops with oil. Keep moving the rounds on the grill to prevent sticking and burning and cook for about 4-6 minutes. Sprinkle the top with the herb-mixture with a bit more oil and continue to grill until fully cooked. Remove from the grill and enjoy by itself, with the honey butter you made, or add toppings while cooking! Yummy~