Pork and Shrimp Dumplings

I had aimed to have this out sooner, but life always has a way of stealing time away from you!

As promised, a recipe for homemade dumplings!  I would say that I have relatively simple tastes, in terms of my clothing choices and as well as my cooking methods.  That’s not to say, however, that my lack of “exotic” or non-traditional ingredients makes my preferences bland or –I find it fun to showcase fun and tasty recipes that use general household ingredients and are simple to make!

These dumplings are no exception–simple skins, simple filing, tasty combination!  To complement our choice of proteins, I’ve added fresh scallions and chives to the mix and used white pepper, salt, soy-sauce, and sesame oil for taste.  While I’ve opted to leave them out, adding ginger and mushrooms can also give the dumpling fillings a bit more bite and texture if you’re feeling adventurous!

This was my first time experimenting with homemade dumpling skins, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to make, and how great they tasted!  In the past, I’ve often used store-bought skins to wrap the dumplings, procured from Asian supermarkets (And I also used a number of them this time around too!)–they are quite easy to use as the skins are extremely thin and uniform in size.  However, the freshness of the homemade skins make them more malleable and give it a distinct homemade taste–much like the dumplings you’ll get from restaurants in Manhattan’s Chinatown!

Dumpling-parties were all the rage last week, and I was also on board; I had a few friends over to help me put these pretties together, and then polish them off after our hard work.  Fun with food, fun with friends!

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CHINESE PORK AND SHRIMP DUMPLINGS
makes 50-60 dumplings

FILLING: INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground pork
• ½ lb  shrimp (deshelled and deveined)
• ¼ c scallions, chopped
• ¼ c chinese chives, chopped
• 1 eggs
• 3 tbs soy sauce (I use low-sodium Kikoman)
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp white pepper

WRAPPERS: INGREDIENTS (optional)

• 3 c all purpose flour
• 1 c water, lukewarm
• 1 pinch of salt
• ¼ c all-purpose flour (for rolling out)

STEPS (~1.5 hours, start to finish)

DUMPLING SKINS, WRAPPERS (optional)

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together wrapper ingredients until dough-like.
2. Divide into 6 segments
3. With each segment, divide into 8-10 evenly-portioned dough balls and roll out into round wrappers about 3 inches in diameter.  Dust with flour to prevent sticking when rolling out.
4. Place prepared wrappers on a tray lined with plastic wrap; line each layer with saran wrap to prevent from sticking.

DUMPLINGS, filling and folding

1. Mince deveined and deshelled shrimp, then place in a large bowl.  Alternatively, pulse shrimp in food processor until minced.  (I prefer to mince by hand as i have more control over how finely chopped the shrimp pieces are).
2. Add the remaining filling ingredients to the large bowl: ground pork, chopped scallions, chopped chives, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, white pepper.  Mix together until all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in center of round wrapper.  (For those of you meat-crazy lovers out there, be careful not to overload the dumpling with too much filling; it will require longer cooking times and if not properly sealed, the dumpling with break and you’ll be sad :( No one wants that!)
4. Use water to help seal the dumpling; start by creating a semicircle and pinching together to form a strange-looking taco.
5. Make 3-4 pleats (mini folds) on either side of the dumpling, starting from the center and working out.  I pleat only the top layer of the dumpling skin, leaving the back side straight; this helps create a natural curvature for the completed dumpling!  Ensure that the dumpling is completely sealed, using water and wetting fingertips as necessary.
6. Place completed dumplings on a foil- or plastic-lined tray, making sure that the dumplings don’t touch or get wet–they will stick together and fall apart otherwise!

PAN-FRIED DUMPLINGS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in medium frying pan on med-high.  When heated, place 8-10 dumplings (however many can comfortably fit in the pan without touching) and fry for 2 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown.
2. Add ¼ c water to the frying pan; reduce heat to medium and cover with a lid.  Cook for 4 minutes, until water has evaporated.  This process steams the dumplings and cooks the filling inside, while keeping the dumpling skins crisp on the outside.
3. Remove cooked dumplings from pan and place on serving dish to eat.

BOILED DUMPLINGS

1. Heat medium-sized pot of water until boiling.  Add 8-10 dumplings (however many can comfortably fit in pot without layering).  The uncooked dumplings should sink to the bottom.
2. Boil for 4-5 minutes, until dumplings are floating at the surface and skins are translucent.
3. Remove cooked dumplings from pan and place on serving dish to eat.

Dumplings are best served and enjoyed fresh!  They can be enjoyed alone, or with a paired with a simple dipping sauce–soy sauce base with a touch of Chinese black vinegar and sesame oil to taste!

 

I’ll try to be better about publishing posts on a more regular schedule in the future—as always, thanks for stopping by and do so again soon!

-pfht