Ah, potstickers, how I love you. These came out perfectly crisped on the bottom.
This time around my homemade dumplings are filled with about a pound each of ground pork and chopped shrimp, a generous bundle of chopped up Chinese leeks, two chopped green onions, three tablespoons of ground ginger, and some soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt to taste. And while dumplings of all sorts are usually served with dipping sauce on the side, I like to pour a little sauce over my dumplings and top with a generous handful of cilantro and green onions. It brings the presentation up a few levels and adds a brightness to what might otherwise be an oily dish.
And for a side/dessert, cherries! Giant cherries are on sale all over Chinatown for 89 cents a pound. Some of these cherries are approaching the size of small walnuts, and most of them are quite sweet. This variety, which I believe is called the Brook cherry, is more varied in color than the black-red Bing, and has a milder flavor. As with the Bing, I could easily eat a bowl a day.
This time around my homemade dumplings are filled with about a pound each of ground pork and chopped shrimp, a generous bundle of chopped up Chinese leeks, two chopped green onions, three tablespoons of ground ginger, and some soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt to taste. And while dumplings of all sorts are usually served with dipping sauce on the side, I like to pour a little sauce over my dumplings and top with a generous handful of cilantro and green onions. It brings the presentation up a few levels and adds a brightness to what might otherwise be an oily dish.
And for a side/dessert, cherries! Giant cherries are on sale all over Chinatown for 89 cents a pound. Some of these cherries are approaching the size of small walnuts, and most of them are quite sweet. This variety, which I believe is called the Brook cherry, is more varied in color than the black-red Bing, and has a milder flavor. As with the Bing, I could easily eat a bowl a day.
3 comments:
pei, can you post your recipe for the dumpling wrappers?
I cheated this time and used store bought.
Homemade is easy but difficult (does that make sense?): start with two cups of flour. Add about half a cup of hot water while stirring, then add cold water until the dough comes together. You want it to be soft and warm, but not too dry. Play Dough is a good consistency to aim for.
Let the dough sit in a bowl covered with a damp towel for at least an hour, knead, and then let sit for another hour or two. Each time you re-knead it the dough will be softer and less lumpy.
Break off pieces smaller than a golf ball and flour generously as you roll them out.
The recipe is obviously child's play, but the technique will take some work. Enjoy!
Drool... nothing beats crispy dumplings. The cilantro/green onion touch is interesting. I will try it next time.
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