I love dumplings. They make me smile. The word itself is a happy word. Try and say it without feeling a little lift in your mood. Without a smile. It is a word that contains warmth, deliciousness and comfort. It is a word that is an endearment.
In addition to happiness, dumplings also imply diversity - great diversity. Most cultures have some version of dumplings - ravioli, pierogi, empanadas. Doughy, pillowy dumplings like gnocchi or those cloud-like biscuits that steam and float atop stew. The dumplings I am going to talk about today are Chinese style dumplings, specifically, those balanced, sumptuous little morsels known familiarly to North Americans as "potstickers."
I am not going to pretend to have a vast knowledge of the history and types of Chinese dumplings. Suffice it to say, there are many, many variations. Steamed, boiled, fried; any filling you can think of, but always flavourful. My dumplings are pork and cabbage. I have tried making shrimp filled dumplings, but I have not gotten the texture of the filling quite right. These dumplings can be steamed, boiled, fried, or cooked as I do, a kind of cross between steaming and frying that, I think, allows for the best of both worlds.
Making dumplings is fun. Particularly with a group of people. I first learned about making them way back in university from an international student living on my floor in residence. He would bring all the fixings into the common room, and feed anyone who was there, showing us how the dumplings were made. Since then I have participated in other dumpling events, as well as making them with my own family as a Saturday afternoon treat.
The first step is prepping the cabbage. This is done by thinly slicing/shredding Napa cabbage (the kind with the crinkly leaves), and salting it. In addition to providing a base level of seasoning for the dumplings, it draws the water out of the cabbage. So place the shredded cabbage in a strainer in the sink, generously salt it, and let it sit for a while. the leaves will soften, the water will come out, and then you will be able to pick up handfuls of the cabbage, squeeze even more water out - as much as you can - and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
To the drained and squeezed cabbage, add the pork and mix together until well combined. Also standard are scallions, finely sliced, green parts and all. Then the seasoning starts. A drizzle of sesame oil. Some seasoned rice vinegar. I usually divide the mix at this point so I can make different flavour profiles - some with coriander, some with ginger and garlic, but all finely chopped and well incorporated into the mix.
Above you can see the filling and what you'll need to start assembling the dumplings. On the lower right are the wrappers. These can be found at any Asian grocery, but the wonton wrappers found in most mainstream groceries will do as well. On the lower left is a cup of water, which is needed to sealing the dumplings. To fill, you lay one of the wrappers across your palm and put about a tsp of filling in the centre - you want to be careful not to overfill because you want a good seal. Then, dip your finger in the water and trace your wet finger around the outer centimetre or so of the wrapper. Fold over, so watered edges meet and press together, crimping/pleating as you go along. Ideally, you want as little air in there as possible. Place on a plate with the seal up and keep filling.
Once you're done filling, the dumplings can be frozen in this state - put them on a tray or plate lined with parchment paper so that the dumplings are not touching each other, and freeze. Once frozen, place in a freezer bag and you have dumplings ready to go that can be easily cooked from frozen at any time. But who wants to go to all that work just to freeze the product for later? I am a big believer in quality control, so you have to cook at least one pan.
I coat the bottom of a pan with a mixture of a neutral oil, like grapeseed oil, and sesame oil. Then, although in every other instance when frying you shouldn't do this, you crowd the pan. Place the dumplings in the pan touching each other, flat bottoms to the oil, pleated seals up.
Turn the heat on medium-high and let the bottoms start to crisp up. Once you have some frying action going, and the bottoms are starting to get crispy, add some water, cover tightly and reduce the heat. The water should come part way up the sides of the dumplings, but not cover them.
Let the water simmer away until the frying sound starts again. If cooking from frozen, you may need to add a bit more water to make sure they are cooked through. Slide off onto a plate, and voila! I make a little sauce of rice vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce to dip them in. This too, is flexible. You could add a chili oil, or a bit of siracha, scallions, fish sauce... anything you want really. Some vinegar, though, is key for me.
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