Those who know me well know I have an unabashed crush on David Chang- restaurateur, frequent television show guest and now owner of a media empire. I also love his new Netflix show, Ugly Delicious, in which he and his foodie friends (including Peter Meehan, whom I like…less) discuss different types of food, with the thesis that “ugly” food- the kind that’s typically on the brown end of the spectrum and not plated using tweezers- is really the best stuff. Each episode is centered around one “type” of food- and the last episode is one entitled “Stuffed.”
This brilliant hour of television explores all kinds of stuffed foods, and in particular compares the dumplings of pretty much every region of Asia with Italian stuffed pastas like ravioli and tortellini. I found it very thought-provoking and a fun trip around the world. It also made me incredibly hungry for dumplings.
I love ravioli, but I LOVE dumplings. Steamed, fried, boiled, soupy, meaty, hot and cold, they’re for certain one of my favorite foods on the planet. And I also love to make them. Dumplings are not something you decide to make on a whim, typically, because they’re time consuming. But with a day’s notice, and maybe a friend or two to help you stuff them, they are a fantastic Saturday project. And the best part is that people really respond to them when you serve them for dinner- it’s really hard not to love a dumpling. People who hate dumplings probably also hate puppies.
If you are a beginner dumpling maker, this recipe is an excellent place to start, for a few reasons. First, the filling is super easy and can be made mostly with grocery store ingredients, though if you can get your hands on Chinese chives, you should use those (they’re fatter and longer than the chives we use in Western cooking). Second, the recipe for the wrapper is pretty foolproof, which is great because making your own wrappers is a real game changer. Obviously, if you do not have time and need to use the storebought ones, any dumplings are better than no dumplings at all, and there are some good brands out there (Twin Marquis, for example). But what you buy will not even come close to what you can make at home. The combination of the porky filling, doughy encasement and the texture it all becomes once it’s boiled is so hard to beat, and these are really some of my favorite dumplings ever.
I urge you all to try making wrappers at least once- to learn the technique for stuffing them, definitely watch some YouTube, or check out the “Stories highlights” portion of my Instagram profile to watch me pleat dumplings while listening to George Clinton. You’ll notice that your dumplings get more and more beautiful as you go…but frankly isn’t even the ugliest dumpling lovable?
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (180ml) cold water
- Small piece of ginger, unpeeled
- 4 oz. (100g) ground pork with a little fat
- 1/2 small egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- Salt
- 4 oz. (100g) Chinese chives, yellow chives or wild garlic
- Dumpling wrappers (if using storebought, you'll need about 7 oz. of round ones)
- Chinkiang or Shanxi vinegar
- Light or tamari soy sauce
- Chile oil or ground chiles
Instructions
- First make the wrappers. Put the flour on a work surface and make a well in the center. Pour in the 2/3 cup cold water and draw in the flour to make a stiff but pliable dough. Knead for several minutes until smooth and elastic, then cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for about 30 minutes. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a couple of sausages 3/4-1 inch in diameter.
- Use a knife to cut the dough into 1 inch pieces, giving the sausage a half roll between cuts (to stop it from getting flatter with each cut).
- Lay each piece cut end-up on the board and flatten with your palm, to make convex discs. Roll the discs into flat wrappers about 3 inches in diameter. The best way to do this (for someone right-handed) is to cradle the far edge of a disc in the fingers of your left hand while you roll from near edge into the center, turning the disc between rolling movements. You will end up with a slightly curved disc that is thinner at the edges than in the center. Lay the wrappers on a board.
- To make the filling, crush the ginger with the flat of a cleaver or a rolling pin and place in a cup with just enough cold water to cover.
- Put the pork in a bowl and add the egg, Shaoxing wine, stock, sesame oil and salt to taste, with 1 tablespoon of the water in which you have soaked the ginger. Mix well (I find this easiest by hand). Finely chop the chives or wild garlic and add them to the pork. Mix well. Set a large pan of water to boil.
- Fill a small dish with cold water and have it on hand. Lay a dumpling wrapper in your hand and place about 1 tablespoon of the pork mixture in its center, pressing the mixture into the wrapper. Dip your finger in the dish of water and run it around the edge of the wrapper. Bring the opposite edges of the wrapper towards each other. If you are right-handed, lay the dumpling in your left hand. Pinch the wrapper together at the right end, then use the fingers of both hands to pleat the far edge of the wrapper against the near edge, pressing the two edges firmly together after each pleat. Lay the dumpling on a tray or a large plate. Wrap the remaining dumplings.
- Drop some of the dumplings into the boiling water and cook them for four to five minutes. Each time the water comes back to a rolling boil, add a small cup of cold water to clam it down, so the dumplings do not fall apart. (You should do this a couple of times before the dumplings are cooked). When they are cooked, remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish.
Notes
From Every Grain of Rice
