wrap it with your hands

During the winter in HK, it's considerably less humid and cold compared to the summer season. Taking advantage of the drier weather, we like to work with dough and make things that are warm and comforting. Here's a relatively simple (and soothing if you like working methodically with your hands) recipe for our favourite homemade dumplings.

Pork and Vegetable Dumplings

makes about 10 dozen

INGREDIENTS:

2 catty fresh round dumpling wrappers (about 120 pieces)

1 lbs minced pork

1 cup minced organic baby bok choy

1/2 cup minced Shitake mushrooms (re-hydrate the dried variety)

Marinade:

1 tbsp canola oil

4 tsp corn starch

4 tsp sugar

4 tbsp low sodium soya sauce

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp shao xing rice wine

Dipping Sauce:

1 tbsp red or black vinegar

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 minced thai chili or 1/2 tsp chili paste

METHOD:

1. In a large bowl, make the dumpling filling by combining the pork, vegetables and marinade. Use a large fork and mix well until you have a smooth paste. You can make this up to 4 hours before using, just cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled in the fridge.

2. Have a small bowl of water ready on the side. Lay out your wrappers on a clean surface and put a heaping teaspoon of filling in the centre of each one.

3. Fold each wrapper into a half circle and use a couple of dabs of water to seal it. With the flat side of the half-moon dumpling facing upwards, take another dab of water and pinch the 2 corners together so that your dumplings look like this (kind of like a large tortellini):

I find the fresh wrappers purchased from the local wet markets in HK less prone to drying out and are much more pliable than the commercial store bought ones. However if you find the wrappers or dumplings starting to dry out, just cover with a clean moist cloth until you're ready to cook or store them.

4. Bring a pot of water to a roiling boil and cook the dumplings for 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. When the dumplings are done, scoop them into a shallow bowl and top with  a bit of chopped green onion or cilantro (optional). Serve with the dipping sauce.

You can store the uncooked dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days or freeze up to 1 month. Just remember to lay them flat in a single layer so that they won't stick together. Frozen dumplings don't need to be defrosted before cooking. Just drop them frozen into a pot of boiling water for 8-10 minutes.