This has been one of Sam's *dream-list* things to do...make Chinese dumplings. And we DID IT.
Fun. Yes. Delicious. ohmygod. Yes. And here it is...the photos, the recipes...
But first...a super-sexy pose from Monty...
And now back to the dumplings...
It begins...(photos first...recipes below...)... We made pork dumplings and shrimp dumplings, because Jake doesn't eat meat, but he does eat fish and seafood...
The shrimp filling...
The pork filling...
The won-ton wrappers...(they are SOOOOO *delicious* to work with...so soft...)...
Pork...
Shrimp...
The assemblage...
To differentiate between the two, the pork dumplings are triangles and the shrimp are half-circles...
Sam...disassembling that cabbage to line the steamer...
The first batch of pork dumplings, ready to be steamed (we put the pork on the bottom layer of the steamer, because it's hotter at the bottom, and the pork requires more cooking than the shrimp)...
And the first batch of shrimp dumplings, ready to be steamed...
And the assembling of the dumpling continues...
OH.MY.GOODNESS!! They're *done* and they're BEAUTIFUL!!!...
My view through my wine glass as we wait to eat the deliciousness...
Jake's shrimp dumplings are all done!! (He's being very patient and polite, waiting for our pork dumplings to be done before he dives in!!)...
Finally! The last batch of pork dumplings are done!...
Mm-hmm...time to EAT!!...
We topped them with the dipping sauce and some Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce...
We all laughed when we saw the huge pile of dumplings on Sam's plate!!...
The inside of a pork dumpling...
Yes...they are THAT good that we ate them ALL!!...
But be forewarned!! When you make TWO batches and you eat them ALL, you just may end up like this immediately afterward...
(...unable to MOVE!!...)
(um...remember that photo of Jake sitting next to the shrimp dumplings??...he ate them ALL!!!...YES!!...all by himSELF!!!! That was a pound of shrimp, my friends...)
And now the recipes...
These are our original recipes for the most part, as we took recipes we found on-line, and adjusted them to our likes and preferences. Please do the same for YOUR own family's palate! Perhaps mix it up according to the recipe using the *smallest* amount suggested, and then smell it and see what you think it may need *more* of...for instance, if you love them garlicky, add more garlic! If you love ginger, add more!!
Chinese Dumplings
Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork or 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled & deveined (chop it up SMALL if you are not using a food processor)
1 - 3 scallions, finely chopped, white and light green parts only
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
drizzle of sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (we didn't have any, so we used a bit of red wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger (we used more than that...we LOVE what it adds to the mixture!)
salt & freshly ground pepper
2 - 4 tablespoons heavy cream (use your judgment in order to get the consistency that you want)
won-ton wrappers (perhaps 50?)
Napa cabbage leaves to line the bamboo steamer (couldn't get napa cabbage, so we used regular)
Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (optional, of course)
Combine ingredients in a food processor. You can just mix it by hand, but the food processor chops it all small enough so that you're not getting large chunks of any one ingredient in your dumpling.
Place enough filling in the center of 1 wonton wrapper to fill it nicely, but not too much so that it's oozing out the sides. Wet the rim of the wonton wrapper, fold, and press together to seal.
Repeat w/remaining wrappers & filling. Keep finished dumplings that are awaiting the steamer on a surface lightly dusted w/flour.
Line the bottom of the wok steamer with cabbage leaves. Fill wok w/water up to the bottom of the bamboo steamer (do NOT have water touching the bottom layer of the steamer...just the bottom *edge*). You can either steam the cabbage-lining before (which will allow the dumplings to sit more evenly on top of it) or not (which is fine, just work the cabbage out as best as you can so that it lays flat).
Load the bamboo steamer with dumplings in a single layer, and place on the water-filled wok. Heat to high. Steam for 8 minutes, or until dumplings are beautifully translucent. Add more water, if necessary, and repeat for remaining dumplings.
Serve with Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce and Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.
Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce:
Ingredients
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (we didn't have any, so we used more lemon juice and LOVED it)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Combine ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
EnJOY!!!
(nom nom nom...)
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1 comment:
I made dumplings for the first time last week too. We cooked ours like potstickers because Mark doesn't like the texture of steamed dumplings. They were very good!
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