PORK DUMPLINGS (JIAOZI)
2 min readTo make about 80–90 dumplings. Preparation & cooking time: about 1–1½ hours.
These dumplings are most versatile: they make a good starter when shallow- fried or steamed; they can also be served on their own as a snack; or as a complete meal when poached in large quantities – say 12–16 per person.
The pork can be replaced with lamb or beef; and for a vegetarian version, the meat can be substituted with dried Chinese mushrooms and bamboo shoots or carrots. For the dough:
450g (1lb) plain flour
about 450ml (¾ pint) water
dry flour for dusting
For the filling:
450g (1lb) Chinese leaves or white cabbage
450g (1lb) minced pork
1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onions
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
a pinch of MSG (optional)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Sift the flour into a bowl, slowly pour in the water and mix to a firm dough.Knead until smooth and soft, then cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 25–30 minutes.
Blanch the cabbage leaves until soft. Drain and finely chop. Mix with the rest of the ingredients to make the filling.
To make the dumplings: Lightly dust a work surface with dry flour, knead and roll the dough into a long sausage about 2.5cm (1″) in diameter.
Making the dumplings.
Cut the ‘sausage’ into about 80–90 small pieces; flatten each piece with the palm of your hand (fig. 30a). Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece into a thin pancake about 6cm (2.5″) in diameter (fig. 30b).
Place about 1½ tablespoons filling in the centre of each pancake (fig. 30c). Fold it into a half-moon shaped pouch (fig. 30d), and pinch the edges firmly so that the dumpling is tightly sealed (fig. 30e). Place the dumplings on a tray lightly dusted with dry flour and cover with a damp cloth until ready for cooking.
Any uncooked dumplings should be frozen rather than just refrigerated – they can be kept in the freezer for up to six months or more, and can be cooked from frozen.
NB If you don’t want to (or don’t have the time to) make your own dumplings, frozen ready-made pork dumplings are widely available in most Chinese provision stores – in fact, most Chinese restaurants get their supplies from manufacturers who make the dumplings by machine.
To cook: The simplest way is by poaching or steaming:
POACHING: Bring about 900ml (1½ pints) water to a rolling boil, drop in about 20 dumplings, one by one, stirring gently with chopsticks to prevent them sticking together. Cover and bring back to the boil.
Uncover and add about 50ml (2fl oz) cold water, then bring back to the boil once more (uncovered). Repeat this process twice more. Remove and drain, serve with dip sauce 1 or 2 .
STEAMING: Place the dumplings on a bed of lettuce leaves on the rack of a bamboo steamer and steam for 10–12 minutes on high heat. Serve with dip sauce 1 or 2.
