Together
Tonight I am making these dumplings alone. This violates my cardinal rule of dumpling making: make them together. Whether you are making jiaozi - these potstickers, Polish pierogi, Vietnamese goi cuon, Indian samosas or Salvadoran pupusas you should gather family and friends together allowing many hands to make light work.
From left to right: ginger guy with a beard (Andrew), second guy with a beard (Peter), third guy with a beard (Jason in the Mickey Mouse shirt), fourth guy with a beard (this is Seth, he's really nice. we like him!), and fifth guy with a beard (Michael was a special guest from Chicago and is welcome back any time)
While you're at it, you should make lots and lot of them. Freeze some for next week or next month, eat some right away, hot and fresh, and save a few for dinner tonight, because you are going to want more. Trust me. Besides, in a kitchen full of people time will pass unnoticed, lost amidst the pleasure of company and conversation.
You may be thinking, at the moment, "we're not supposed to get together. We're supposed to be socially distanced." True. And this is more fun when everyone is in the same room. However, the joyful distraction that is family and friends in conversation still holds while making dumplings in a group video chat. As a bonus, it will be hilarious when your clumsy friend gets flour everywhere in a kitchen you don't have to clean up afterwards.
You know what else will get lost? Every concern you have ever had about how pretty your dumplings are. Trust me, you just won't have any cares to give while you are laughing and catching up, or popping hot dumplings in your mouth.
Is it easier to buy them pre-made? Sure! And if you really want dumplings and don't have any time you should buy some frozen ones and shove them down with joyful abandon. But, they won't begin to measure up to these. So while you are eating them call up your friends and family on video chat and discuss how you should get together to make dumplings. And soon.
Pork and snow pea dumplings
Makes about 25-30 dumplings
Yes, these are work. Yes they are totally worth it.
Dumplings are pinched and ready to panfry
For dough:
2 cups flour
1 cup boiling water
For dumplings:
1 egg, lightly whisked
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs rice wine
1 tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbs corn starch
1 lb snow peas, chopped in roughly 1/4" pieces
2 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs minced ginger
4-5 scallions, whites and greens thinly sliced
white pepper
2 lbs ground pork
For dipping sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 warm water
1 tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs minced ginger
1 scallion, whites and greens thinly sliced
This is one of the few dishes I think is best cooked in a non-stick pan.
Directions:
Make dough: Stir together flour and just shy of 1 cup water until it comes together into a dough. Add more water if needed. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and springy, about 6 min. Cover with a bowl or plastic wrap and let rest for 30 min.
Make filling: in a large bowl, whisk together egg, soy sauce, rice wine, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and corn starch. Add snow peas, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Season with a healthy pinch of salt and white pepper. Mix to combine. Add pork and mix until just combined. Reserve in refrigerator.
Make sauce: Mix together sauce ingredients and reserve.
Shape dumplings: Roll 1/4 dough into a 1” snake. Cut in 1” pieces and roll thin on a lightly floured surface. Place a scant tbs filling in center and fold dough over, pinching edges and pleating dough.
Cook dumplings: Heat 2 tbs oil in a non-stick pan over med-high heat. Add dumplings and brown the bottoms, about 2 min. Add water to halfway up the dumplings, cover and cook until water evaporates. Remove cover and until pan is dry and bottoms are crisp. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining dumplings.
TIP: The pork is added last so you don't handle it too much. Ground meat gets tough if you work it too much. Your Italian grandmother will give you the same advice for meatballs.
