Chinese Boiled Dumplings
Chinese Boiled Dumplings (Jiaozi)
Dumplings are always part of the Chinese New Year holiday fare
A few “lucky dumplings” with a coin in the filling are commonly added to the batch
The person who bites into them will have a good year!
You can make your own wrappers or buy them at Asian or regular grocery stores
Do not buy won ton wrappers
They are square-shaped; dumpling wrappers are round – about 3 1/2 inches in diameter
Dipping Sauce
Chinese vinegar (dark)
Chili oil (optional)
Finely chopped garlic (optional)
To make dipping sauce: Prepare the dipping sauce first so that when the dumplings come out of the pot they are ready to eat
Pour a small amount of vinegar into a small bowl or plate
Add a couple of drops of sesame oil (optional), chili oil (optional) & finely chopped garlic (optional)
In other words, vinegar is essential
The rest is up to you
Filling
1 medium Chinese (Napa) cabbage
1 pound ground pork
1 pound chopped shrimp
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dark (Oriental) sesame oil
2 tpss salt, or to taste
3 Tbspsoy sauce
1 tps cooking wine
1 tps black pepper (optional)
Small piece of fresh ginger
8 cloves garlic
2 to 3 green onions
6 to 8 dried black mushrooms, chopped
(soak in warm water for about 1 hour
before chopping)
Finely grate the cabbage by h& or with a food processor
Place a piece of cheesecloth or a cotton dish towel in a large bowl
Add just enough cabbage so the cloth can be lifted out of the bowl & wrapped around the cabbage
Over a bowl, squeeze out as much liquid as possible (you can use it to make the wrapper dough)
Place dried cabbage in a large bowl & add pork, shrimp, egg, vegetable oil, sesame oil, salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, black pepper, ginger, garlic, green onions & mushrooms
Mix thoroughly
Wrappers
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups water &/or cabbage juice
Mix the cabbage juice &/or water with the flour
Be sure it is not too soft
Firm is better (add more flour if needed)
Knead into a ball
Cut off small pieces & roll into 1-inch round “sticks
“
Cut sticks into 1/2-inch pieces
Flatten each piece with your palm, then flatten with a rolling pin into a 3 1/2-inch circle
The edges should be slightly thinner than the center
If you are working alone, it’s best not to make all the wrappers at once
If you’re working with at least one other person, one person can roll out the wrappers while the other fills them
To make dumplings: The ideal dumpling should resemble a chubby crescent moon with well-pressed edges
It may be a little difficult to make ideal ones at first
What’s most important is that the dumpling is well-sealed so it doesn’t fall part in the boiling water
Place a wrapper in your palm or on a work surface
Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of the wrapper
Fold the dough over & use your thumb & forefinger to press the center edges together, & then work toward the ends (top & the bottom of the crescent)
Make sure no filling is protruding
(If using pre-made wrappers, moisten the edges of the wrapper or they will not seal properly
)
Place the dumplings on a lightly floured tray or cutting board; make sure they don’t touch one another
Bring 6 quarts of water to a rapid boil & add about 30 dumplings
Cover the pot; when it returns to a very rapid boil, add 1/2 cup cold water
When it returns to a rapid boil, check to see if the dumplings are puffy & floating at or near the top of the water
The skin should be somewhat translucent
They should be done
(Experienced dumpling makers can just tell by looking at them, but you can open one & make sure the pork is thoroughly cooked
)
When the dumplings are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon & place on a large flat plate
Serve immediately with dipping sauce
If you have leftovers, you can fry them in a little oil until they are brown & crispy
Makes 140 dumplings
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