Chef Ming Tsai's Pork and Ginger Dumplings

By polledl

Ingredients

• Dumpling Wrappers:
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Forming the dumplings:
• 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water, for egg wash
• Traditional Pork and Ginger Dumplings:
• 1 cup of cabbage, shredded
• 1 pound of ground pork
• 1/4 cup of ginger, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 1/2 cup of scallions, white and green parts, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• Black Bean & Shrimp Dumplings:
• 1 tablespoon of fermented black beans, rinsed and minced
• 1 tablespoon of ginger, minced
• 1 bunch of scallions, sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, chilled cut into 1/8-inch dice
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• canola oil to cook
• Vegetarian Shiitake-Leek Dumplings;
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 2 large leeks, white parts only, well washed and julienned
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
• 1 cup bean threads, soaked in warm water to cover until soft, 10-15 minutes, drained well and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Canola oil for cooking
• Din Sum Dipper:
• 2 tablespoons Traditional Spicy Sambal or store-bought sambal
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• Sweet Chile Dipping Sauce:
• 1 1/4 cups of Mae Ploy (sweet chili sauce)
• 1 roasted red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon of sambal
• Kosher salt to taste

Details

Servings 20

Preparation

Step 1

For the Dumplings:

Bring the water to a boil. In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine the flour and salt. Slowly add the boiling water in 1/4-cup increments, mixing with chop-sticks until a ball is formed and the dough is no longer too hot to handle. All the water may not be needed. Knead the dough on a floured work surface until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 15 to 20 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

Using a Stand Mixer:
In a stand mixer fitted with dough hook, gradually add water to flour. Once dough forms a ball and all the dry ingredients are incorporated, remove from mixer. Dough should not be sticky, if it is add more flour, tablespoon by tablespoon. Very lightly flour a flat surface and bring dough together into a disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

Rolling:
To form the wrappers, add more flour to the work surface. Divide the dough in half. Shape one portion into a log and roll it back and forth under your palms to make a thin sausage shape measuring about 1 inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. One by one, stand each piece on end, flatten the piece with your palm, and roll out to form a circular wrapper about 3 inches in diameter and 1/16 of an inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Using a Tortilla Press to make wrappers:
Weigh out 3oz pieces of dough. Roll each piece to form a ball. Cut 2 squares of parchment paper that are bigger than the press. Place one square on the bottom of the press and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place ball in the center, top with the remaining square of paper, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Press down to form dumpling wrapper. Repeat with remaining dough.

MING'S TIP: When rolling out the wrappers, make the edges a little thinner than the centers. That way, when the edges are folded over themselves to enclose the filling, they'll be the same thickness as the rest of the wrapper.

Note: While the dough must be made and used immediately, the dumplings may be assembled, seared and frozen for up to 1 month. Make the dumplings according to the recipe, sear and remove from the pan. Drain on a paper towel. When dumplings are cool, wrap in plastic, then foil, and place in a sealable bag. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer, place in a non-stick skillet coated with oil, browned side down, for one minute. Add about 1/2 cup of water and immediately cover the pan to avoid splattering. Lift the cover and make sure about 1/8 inch of water remains in the pan; add a little more if not. Steam until the pot stickers are puffy yet firm and the water has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. If the water evaporates before the pot stickers are done, add more in 1/4-cup increments. If the pot stickers seem done, but water remains in the pan, drain it and return the pan to the stovetop to evaporate any remaining liquid. Continue to cook over high heat to allow the pot stickers to re-crisp on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Transfer the pot stickers to a platter and serve with the dipping sauce.

Using store bought wrappers:
Using a small rolling pin, roll the wrappers to make them just a little thinner.

Forming the dumplings:

To form the pot stickers, in a small bowl mix the egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Lay 5 wrappers on a work surface. Place 1/2 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each wrapper. Avoid getting any filling on the edges of the wrapper, which would prevent them from sealing properly. With a finger or pastry brush, paint the circumference of the wrappers with the egg mixture. Fold each wrapper in half to form a half-moon shape. Seal by pressing between the fingers and, starting at the center, make 3 pleats, working toward the bottom-right corner. Repeat, working toward the bottom-left corner. Press the folded edges of the dumplings gently on the work surface to flatten the bottoms and help them stand.

Cooking:

Heat a large, nonstick lidded sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is hot, add the pot stickers, flattened bottoms down, in batches of two or three rows of five, and cook without disturbing until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup of water and immediately cover the pan to avoid splattering. Lift the cover and make sure about 1/8 inch of water remains in the pan; add a little more if not. Steam until the pot stickers are puffy yet firm and the water has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. If the water evaporates before the pot stickers are done, add more in 1/4-cup increments. If the pot stickers seem done, but water remains in the pan, drain it and return the pan to the stovetop to evaporate any remaining liquid. Continue to cook over high heat to allow the pot stickers to re-crisp on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Transfer the pot stickers to a platter and serve with the dipping sauce in individual small ramekins.

Traditional Pork and Ginger Dumplings:
1 cup of cabbage, shredded
1 pound of ground pork
1/4 cup of ginger, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil
1/2 cup of scallions, white and green parts, sliced 1/8-inch thick
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Place cabbage in a strainer over a bowl. Salt cabbage and let rest for about 30 minutes; rinse and finely chop. Fill a large bowl with ice. Set a medium bowl into the ice-filled bowl. In the smaller bowl combine cabbage, pork, ginger and sesame oil and mix to combine. Fold in scallions. Season with salt and pepper. In a small saute pan or in a microwave, cook a small amount of the filling to check for seasoning. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Follow directions for filling by using your homemade dumpling skins or store bought. Enjoy!

Black Bean & Shrimp Dumplings:
1 tablespoon of fermented black beans, rinsed and minced
1 tablespoon of ginger, minced
1 bunch of scallions, sliced
1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 egg
1/4 cup butter, chilled cut into 1/8-inch dice
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
canola oil to cook

In a saute pan over medium high heat add oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add black beans, ginger and scallions and saute, stirring about 1-2 minutes. Set mixture aside to cool. In a food processor combine shrimp and eggs and blend until almost smooth. Add butter to the processor and pulse until incorporate, but still visible in small pieces. Season.Fold shrimp into the cooled black bean mixture. In a small saute pan or in a microwave, test a small amount of the filling to check for seasoning. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Follow directions for filling by using your homemade dumpling skins or store bought. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Shiitake-Leek Dumplings:
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 serrano chiles, stemmed and finely chopped
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
2 large leeks, white parts only, well washed and julienned
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
1 cup bean threads, soaked in warm water to cover until soft, 10-15 minutes, drained well and cut into 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil for cooking

Heat a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger and chiles and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Do not allow the aromatics to burn. Reduce the heat to medium, add the hoisin sauce and cook until it loses its raw bean taste, about 3 minutes. Add the shiitakes and leeks and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper to taste, transfer the mixture to a strainer and with a large spoon press the mixture well to drain it thoroughly. Cool. Transfer the filling to a medium bowl and add the cilantro, scallions and bean threads. Stir to blend. Follow directions for filling by using your homemade dumpling skins or store bought. Enjoy!

Din Sum Dipper:

In a small bowl combine the sambal, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallions. Mix and use or store.

Sweet Chile Dipping Sauce:

In a blender combine all ingredients and puree until smooth. Pour mixture through mesh strainer placed over bowl to remove any seeds. Check for seasoning.