Recipe

May 8, 2020

Chinese Chicken Dumplings

Recipe: David Lum

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

This recipe is made using the fry-steam-fry method, which results in beautifully cooked dumplings with a bit of crispy lattice on the bottom.

Ingredients

Dumplings

  • 2 cups finely chopped Savoy or Napa cabbage
  • 1 1⁄4 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • 450 g ground chicken (ideally half dark meat, half light meat)
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1⁄4 tsp pepper
  • 1⁄2 cup finely chopped canned water chestnuts
  • 1⁄3 cup finely chopped green onion
  • 1⁄4 cup finely chopped, peeled carrot
  • 1 pkg. store-bought round dumpling or gyoza wrappers
  • 2 tbsp each flour and water combined to seal edges
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1⁄2 cup water mixed with 1 1⁄2 tbsp cornstarch, for lattice
  • Chopped green onion, toasted sesame seeds, spicy chili crisp in oil, as optional garnishes

Apricot Dipping Sauce

  • 1⁄2 cup good-quality apricot jam or preserves (finely chop any large fruit pieces)
  • 2 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1⁄4 tsp finely chopped garlic
  • 1⁄4 tsp finely chopped ginger
  • 1 to 3 tbsp warm water

Black Vinegar Dipping Sauce

  • 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp chili oil
  • Honey, to taste

Directions

Yield: Makes 50 dumplings

Plan Ahead: Filling should chill for 30 minutes to marinate.

Make Fillings & Dumplings

  1. In colander set over another bowl, add cabbage and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt. Let sit for at least 20 minutes, then squeeze out excess water.
  2. Combine ground chicken, egg, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, five-spice powder, remaining 1⁄4 tsp of salt and pepper, and stir until uniform.
  3. Add reserved cabbage, water chestnuts, green onion and carrot. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine.
  4. Cook small piece of filling to taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
  5. Place about 1 tbsp of filling in each dumpling wrapper, working with one wrapper at a time and keeping remaining wrappers covered under plastic wrap.
  6. Use mix of flour and water to seal edges closed. Be sure to squeeze out any air pockets.
  7. Pleat as desired and place on tray. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and reserve while filling remaining wrappers.

Cook Dumplings

  1. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange as many dumplings as you’d like to cook in skillet, flat-side down.
  2. Cook without moving for 4 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly brown.
  3. To create lattice, in bowl, combine water and cornstarch, reduce heat to low, pour carefully into skillet, and cover.
  4. Cook, covered, for 6 minutes, or until most of water is absorbed. Uncover pan, let water evaporate and cook until dumpling bottoms are crisp and cornstarch mixture forms into a crispy lattice, about 3 to 4 more minutes.

Make Dipping Sauces & Serve

  1. In bowl, stir together jam, lime juice, soy sauce, mustard, garlic and ginger until uniform. Add enough water to achieve dipping sauce consistency.
  2. In another bowl, stir together black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili oil. Add honey, to taste.
  3. Place dumplings crispy side facing up on platter to show off lattice. Garnish and serve with dipping sauces.
Photographer:

Maya Visnyei

Source:

House & Home April 2020