Dim Sum is has long been a Chinese restaurant favorite, whether for take-out or eat in.
In her new book “Dumplings All Day Wong” author Lee Anne Wong provides the basics of creating Asian dumplings as a snack, appetizer or entrée.
Wong includes chapters which cover choosing the right dough and folding techniques, as well as focusing on delicacies such as Shumai, Har Gow, Wontons, Soups and Baos.
“My book focuses on the Asian style of dumplings,” says Wong. “The further you get into the book, the more you will begin to realize that your possibilities are truly endless. As with all styles of cooking, once you master the techniques and basic recipes, you’ll have the ability to build your own dumpling arsenal.”
Sample recipe from “Dumplings All Day Wong”
Pork and Chive Dumplings with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce
1 1/2 lb (680 g) ground pork
1 1/2 lb (75 g) garlic/Chinese chives, chopped 1/4″ (3 mm) thick
1/4 cup (55 g) ground fatback
1/4 cup (60 ml) low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup (60 ml) shao xing rice wine
2 tbsp (28 g) ginger, finely grated or minced
2 tsp (10 g) sugar
1 tsp (5g) salt
60 round dumpling skins
Chopped scallions for garnish
Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
1/4 cup (60 ml) rice, black, or Chinese red vinegar
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 tbsp (15 g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (28 g) ginger root, finely julienned
In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork, garlic chives, fatback, soy sauce, shao xing, ginger, sugar, salt and white pepper. Mix the ingredients until the filling is well combined.
Fill and form each dumpling with a 1/2 tablespoon of pork filling. Choose your cooking method:
Boiled: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the dumplings in small batches for 2-3 minutes. Drain, serve immediately with soy ginger dipping sauce.
Steamed: Steam on greased parchment paper over a boiling water bath until the filling and dumpling skins are cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Pan-fried: In a small container, mix 2 cups/475 milliliters of water and 2 tablespoons/12 grams of flour until the flour has dissolved into the water and the mixture is cloudy. Heat a small nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon/15 milliliters of vegetable oil to the pan and place the dumplings in the pan, lined up next to each other and cook until the bottoms turn golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup/25 grams of flour/water mix to the pan; it will react with the hot pan and steam and splatter a bit so as soon as you add the flour/water mixture, cover the pan with a tight-fitted lid. Cook the dumplings covered until almost all of the water has evaporated and a thin golden crust begins to form in the bottom of the pan. Remove the lid and cook until all water has evaporated. Carefully removed the dumplings from the pan, serve immediately.
Deep Fried: Preheat a large pot of deep fry oil to 350°F/175°C. Carefully drop the dumplings one by one into the hot oil, frying in small batches being sure not to overcrowd the oil. Cook the dumplings for 2 minutes, until the filling is cooked and the exterior is golden brown. Drain to a paper towel. Repeat with remaining dumplings until all are cooked, making sure the oil temperature returns to 350°F/176°C before frying the next batch. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
To make the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Refrigerate and allow to macerate for at least one hour.
Recipe from DUMPLINGS ALL DAY WONG by Lee Ann Wong, Page Street Publishing/August 2014.
