– RECIPES BELOW –

Now I’m pretty sure most people love a good dumpling and if you haven’t had one you’re missing out! Asian food is definitely without a doubt my favourite, especially chinese. Cheap, fast, delicious and usually more healthy than most other options if you spent your $15 budget elsewhere. While I was an apprentice at Skycity I once had to make 400 – 600 pork and prawn wontons a day, for 10 weeks along with the up to 80 litres of chicken soup they were about to be floating in. Supplying the noodle bar on the casino floor may have been my first taste of oriental cooking and the love affair began from there.

Recipes with more than 5 ingredients can be daunting, but the best thing about dumplings is that theres almost nothing you can f**k up. Cut everything, mix it, mould it and if you choose to steam them – theres no easier way to cook. Are all the ingredients at the supermarket you ask? Unfortunately I can’t say yes this time round so you’ll have to go on an adventure to your nearest chinese supermarket. You won’t believe how cheap fresh produce can be until you’ve been to one – oh and soya sauce? You can get it by the litres.

I’ve chosen three different flavours – Chinese, Japanese and Thai style which should hopefully cover everybody’s choice in taste. Don’t forget if you have left overs, lay them out individually on a tray (cover with glad wrap) and freeze them, easy meals cooked from frozen in no more than 10 minutes! If your’e awesome enough to give it a go don’t forget to take some good shots and #tag ‘#howtochefnz’ so I can feature them on the website!

Enjoy! – B

CHINESE STYLE PORK DUMPLINGS

makes approximetly 30

Prep & Ingredients:

• Pork mince    300g
• Tiger prawn cutlets    1 cup/ 120g defrosted
• Dried Shiitake mushrooms    1/2 cup/ 15g
• Chinese chives    2 tbsp/ 20g finely sliced
• Garlic cloves    3 large/ 10g finely grated
• Fresh Ginger    1/2 tbsp/ 10g finely grated
• Eggs    1
• Sesame oil    2 tbsp/ 15g
• Soya sauce    2 tbsp/ 15g
• Castor Sugar    1/2 tsp/ 5g
• Salt    1 tsp/ 10g
• Ground white pepper    1/2 tsp/ 2g
• Dumpling wrappers    30
• Cornflour    As needed
• Water     ”    “

Step by step: (Prep)

1. Put the shiitake mushrooms into a mixing bowl, cover with boiling water and sit another smaller bowl on top of them to make sure they stay submerged. Soak for at least 30 minutes.
2. Strain mushrooms, carfeully cut the stalks off. (Which is easiest by folding them in half, inside out.)
3. Cut prawns into small dices by removing tails, slicing them in half horizontally first and then into small cubes.
4. Finely grate the garlic and ginger into a mixing bowl, using a microplane gives the best results.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
6. Fill 2 small ramekins or containers, 1 with water and the other with cornflour for making the dumplings.
7. Holding a dumpling wrapper in your left hand, put a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into the centre of the wrapper.
8. Dip your right pointing finger into the bowl of water and wipe it across the top half edge of the wrapper which will act as glue.
9. Now carefully fold the bottom edge up towards the top making a half moon shape (crescent).
10. Carefully press the 2 edges together, starting in the middle and down towards each end, making sure mixture doesn’t get in between the fold.
11. Dip your finger in the bowl of cornflour and lightly dust each side to avoid them sticking together until cooking.

Step by step:   (Cooking)

1. STEAMED – Using a large pot with steamer attachment, half fill the pot with water and bring to the boil. Spray the steamer attachment with oil spray and place the amount of dumplings that fit without overlapping too much. Spray the tops with oil as well, lower the heat so the water is simmering and cook for 5 minutes.
2. PAN FRIED – Add some canola oil to a large non stick pan on a medium heat, enough to shallow fry the dumplings. Add the dumplings in a fan pattern around the outside of the pan, not the centre. Allow to crisp up and brown nicely, flip and add 1 ½ cups of water, cover with a lid and cook for 4 minutes. (If the water evaporates too early, add a little more)

JAPANESE STYLE PORK DUMPLINGS

makes approximetly 30

Prep & Ingredients:

• Pork mince    300g
• White Cabbage    4 cups/ 180g
• Spring onion    1/4 cup/ 20g finely sliced
• Garlic cloves    3 large/ 10g finely grated
• Fresh Ginger    1/2 tsp/ 10g finely grated
• Red Chilli    x1/ 10g deseeded, finely chopped
• Miso paste    2 tbsp/ 20g
• Eggs    1
• Sesame oil   2 tsp/ 10g
• Castor Sugar    1/2 tsp/ 5g
• Salt    1 tsp/ 10g
• Ground white pepper    1/2 tsp/ 2g
• Dumpling wrappers   30
• Cornflour    As needed
• Water    ”    “

Step by step: (Prep)

1. Put the finely sliced white cabbage into a mixing bowl and season with a generous amount of salt, mix and squeeze well to evenly mix it through, allow to sit for atleast 15 minutes.
2. Once the cabbage is ready, put it onto a chux cloth or thin tea towel and lightly ring out the excess water that the salt has pulled out and add to a fresh mixing bowl. (This prevents your dumplings from going soggy!)
3. Finely grate the garlic and ginger into the same mixing bowl, using a microplane gives the best results.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
5. Fill 2 small ramekins or containers, 1 with water and the other with cornflour for making the dumplings.
6. Holding a dumpling wrapper in your left hand, put a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into the centre of the wrapper.
7. Dip your right pointing finger into the bowl of water and wipe it across the top half edge of the wrapper which will act as glue.
8. Now carefully fold the bottom edge up towards the top making a half moon shape (crescent).
9. Carefully press the 2 edges together, starting in the middle and down towards each end, making sure mixture doesn’t get in between the fold.
10. Dip your finger in the bowl of cornflour and lightly dust each side to avoid them sticking together until cooking.

Step by step:   (Cooking)

1. STEAMED – Using a large pot with steamer attachment, half fill the pot with water and bring to the boil. Spray the steamer attachment with oil spray and place the amount of dumplings that fit without overlapping too much. Spray the tops with oil as well, lower the heat so the water is simmering and cook for 5 minutes.
2. PAN FRIED – Add some canola oil to a large non stick pan on a medium heat, enough to shallow fry the dumplings. Add the dumplings in a fan pattern around the outside of the pan, not the centre. Allow to crisp up and brown nicely, flip and add 1 ½ cups of water, cover with a lid and cook for 4 minutes. (If the water evaporates too early, add a little more)

THAI STYLE PORK DUMPLINGS

makes approximetly 30

Prep & Ingredients:

• Pork mince    300g
• White Cabbage    4 cups/ 180g finely sliced
• Spring onion    1/4 cup/ 20g finely sliced
• Red Capsicum    x1/ 120g finely diced
• Mung beans    1 cup/ 50g roughly chopped
• Fresh Coriander    1/4 cup/ finely chopped
• Garlic cloves   3 large/ 10g finely grated
• Fresh Ginger    1/2 tbsp/ 10g finely grated
• Eggs    1
• Sesame oil    1 tsp/ 5g
• Soya sauce    2 tbsp/ 20g
• Fish sauce    2 tbsp/ 15g
• Castor Sugar    1/2 tsp/ 5g
• Salt    1 tsp/ 10g
• Ground white pepper    1/2 tsp/ 2g
• Dumpling wrappers    30
• Cornflour    As needed
• Water    ”    “

Step by step: (Prep)

1. Put the finely sliced white cabbage into a mixing bowl and season with a generous amount of salt, mix and squeeze well to evenly mix it through, allow to sit for atleast 15 minutes.
2. Once the cabbage is ready, put it onto a chux cloth or thin tea towel and lightly ring out the excess water that the salt has pulled out and add to a fresh mixing bowl. (This prevents your dumplings from going soggy!)
3. Finely grate the garlic and ginger into the same mixing bowl, using a microplane gives the best results.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
5. Fill 2 small ramekins or containers, 1 with water and the other with cornflour for making the dumplings.
6. Holding a dumpling wrapper in your left hand, put a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into the centre of the wrapper.
7. Dip your right pointing finger into the bowl of water and wipe it across the top half edge of the wrapper which will act as glue.
8. Now carefully fold the bottom edge up towards the top making a half moon shape (crescent).
9. Carefully press the 2 edges together, starting in the middle and down towards each end, making sure mixture doesn’t get in between the fold.
10. Dip your finger in the bowl of cornflour and lightly dust each side to avoid them sticking togeather until cooking.

Step by step:   (Cooking)

1. STEAMED – Using a large pot with steamer attachment, half fill the pot with water and bring to the boil. Spray the steamer attachment with oil spray and place the amount of dumplings that fit without overlapping too much. Spray the tops with oil as well, lower the heat so the water is simmering and cook for 5 minutes.
2. PAN FRIED – Add some canola oil to a large non stick pan on a medium heat, enough to shallow fry the dumplings. Add the dumplings in a fan pattern around the outside of the pan, not the centre. Allow to crisp up and brown nicely, flip and add 1 ½ cups of water, cover with a lid and cook for 4 minutes. (If the water evaporates too early, add a little more)

HANDY TIPS:

• For quick and easy dumpling dipping sauce mix 1/2 cup kikoman soya sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp sriracha, 1 tsp sugar, 1tbsp chopped chives and 1 tbsp sesame seeds.

• Keep dry shiitake mushrooms in the cupboard, a perfect replacement to fresh mushrooms in soups all year round.

• Make a few recipes at once, lay them out individually on trays and freeze them, easy meals cooked from frozen in no more than 10 minutes!

• If using frozen prawns, to safely defrost either put them in the fridge 2 days in advance or run them under COLD water.

FOOD SMARTS:

via Wikipedia.com

• Other names for common dumplings: Chinese – jiaozi / Japanese – Gyōza / Korean – mandu/ Indian – Kozhukkatta
• Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and koji (the fungus Aspergillus oryzae).
• Soy sauce (also called soya sauce) is a condiment made from a fermented paste of boiled soybeans.
• Fish sauce is an amber-colored liquid extracted from the fermentation of fish with sea salt. It is used as a condiment in various cuisines.
• Sriracha (Thai) is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt.
• Shiitake mushrooms -The earliest written record of shiitake cultivation is seen in the Records of Longquan County (龍泉縣志) compiled by He Zhan (何澹) in 1209!
• In industry, Sesame oil may be used as,
  • a solvent in injected drugs or intravenous drip solutions,
  • a cosmetics carrier oil,
  • low grade oil is used locally in soaps, paints, lubricants, and illuminants.