I made these as "guotie" which means pan-fried dumplings, hence the title. The basic recipe, however, is for "jiaozi" which is the generic name for Northern Chinese dumplings. They can be either boiled or steamed if you don't want to pan-fry them. The recipe for the pork and cabbage filling was derived from recipes in 2 different cookbooks, both written by Mai Leung - "The Classic Chinese Cookbook" and "The New Classic Chinese Cookbook." The recipe for the dough/wrappers/skins is from https://redhousespice.com/homemade-dumpling-wrappers/
Makes: 20-25 crescent moon dumplings
Takes: I didn't pay attention to the time, but the whole process takes quite a while. It's not quick.
Special Tools: Stand mixer with dough hook; steamer set-up.
INGREDIENTS
½ pound Napa cabbage
Filling
½ pound ground pork
1 scallion: minced, including green part
2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine or pale dry sherry
1 tablespoon black soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
â…› teaspoon msg optional
½ tablespoon cornstarch
Dough
For making around 30 wrappers
250 g all-purpose flour about 2 cups, plus some for dusting
130 ml water (½ cup+2 tsp) (87 ml boiling and 43 ml room temperature)
¼ teaspoon salt
about 6 tablespoons oil for pan-frying
DIRECTIONS
1. Make the filling: Combine filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix vigorously in one direction for several minutes to develop the myocin in the meat. The filing should have a sticky paste-like consistency and leave streaks on the sides of the mixing bowl when done.
2. Put Napa cabbage on a steamer and steam over water for 10-30 minutes until tender. When cool enough to handle, mince cabbage, wrap in a kitchen towel and squeeze out excess water, then mix cabbage thoroughly with the filling mixture. Refrigerate filling before use to firm it up.
3. Make the dough: (I neglected to take photos during the dough/wrapper making process) Add flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With mixer on speed 1, add the water to the flour gradually, starting with the hot water. Add room temperature water a teaspoon at a time if needed to just get the dough to come together into 1 mass with no dry flour in the bowl. Then continue mixing/kneading on a low speed (1 or 2 on a KitchenAid) until a smooth dough forms (about 8 minutes).
4. Place in a zip lock bag and rest the dough for 30-60 minutes (no more than 2 hours) until it becomes soft (Chinese cooks would say "as soft as an earlobe").
5. Make a loop with the dough then divide it into four parts. Roll one part (cover the rest to prevent them from drying out) into a rope then cut into 7-8 equal sections.
6. Press each piece into a small disc with the palm of your hand. Then use a rolling pin to flatten it into a thin disc. Dust with flour if the dough sticks (Please refer to the video below).
7. Use the fresh wrappers immediately. If you wish to freeze them for later, sprinkle extra flour in between each wrapper. Pile them up then place into an air-tight plastic bag (squeeze out the air as much as possible). Defrost in the fridge then use them straightaway.
8. Make the dumplings - Roll dough into a long sausage about 1 inch in diameter. Pinch off pieces about 15 grams each. Flour them slightly and roll them into balls. With a rolling pin, roll each into a thin circle. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle. Fold the circle in half and pleat, pinching edges securely together.
9. Place formed dumplings on a floured tray and cover with a towel.
10. To cook (pan fried) - Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a big non-stick skillet and spread it evenly. Line up the dumplings in the skillet. Pour enough cold water to come half way up the sides. Cover and cook over moderate heat for about 3 minutes, or until the skins become opaque. Remove from heat and drain off the liquid. Add about 4 tablespoons oil to the pan. Cover and pan fry over medium-low heat until the bottoms are crisp and brown (about 5 minutes.) Check periodically to avoid overcooking the bottoms. If desired, you can then turn the dumplings to place one of the other 2 sides firm and brown lightly. Place the dumplings in a serving plate with the browned bottoms facing up and serve with a dipping sauce.
Attached Files
