cheats'
Fried
Pork
Dumplings

makes 50

Why ‘Cheats’, well because we’re not making the wrappers. Dumplings are a great dish to make with kids and adults alike and of course the fillings are only limited to your imagination. We love this book Asian Dumplings apple books or Asian Dumpings hard copy

Only real trick to this is making sure the wrappers are fresh, nice and white and have at least three weeks until the used by date. We use a number of different craft and make-up brushes for various culinary tasks and have an about 8mm soft chisel paint brush that we use for dumplings.

If you live in Adelaide there’s only one place for dumplings that come close to the streets of Shanghai – Seng Kee Yum Cha in the old Adelaide Central Market Plaza Food Court, Central Market,, Grote St, Adelaide SA 5000. Connie also has the best Chinese egg tarts in Adelaide.

AO 6 February 2021

everyone
loves
dumplings

for the filling
500g fine fatty pork mince
100g cooked and minced pork skin – optional
20g ginger:garlic
50g p/w finely chopped shallot
2g fine sea salt
20g Mega Chef oyster sauce
10 Thai basil leaves [or any type of basil] finely shredded

approx.. 50 Tong Phat round dumpling wrappers or similar
1 egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of cold water

30g salt
2 x 50g peanut oil

so easy
so much
fun!

Mix everything to the Thai basil together and refrigerate, contact covered, for about 30 minutes or longer.

Mix together the egg yolk and water . Working at about eight at a time, floury side up place quenelled teaspoons of the mixture in the middle of the wrapper. Brush the entire edge with the yolk mixture. Pinch the half rounds together and pleat, cover with a damp cloth or plastic food wrap until you’re ready to cook. Repeat the process until all of the filling has been used.

Place a medium pot three quarters filled with water on high heat. Add the salt and bring to the boil. Weigh the peanut oil into a largish stainless bowl. Set a clean tea towel on your work surface.

When the water boils drop no more than 10 dumplings in and using a silicon spatula gently stir them from the bottom so that they don’t stick. When they have risen to the top [just like gnocchi] cook for 2 minutes. Carefully lift them from the water, drop them onto the tea towel to drain and immediately into the peanut oil and using the spatula gently toss the cooked dumplings through the oil to stop them sticking together. Repeat the process until all of the dumplings can be cooked.

If you are not eating them immediately cover and refrigerate – not more than 24 hours. To serve, drop them into boiling salted water, drain on a towel and repeat rolling them through the peanut oil.

to serve immediately

Pre-heat a well-seasoned cast iron pan, add some peanut oil and fry the dumplings until they are a little bit crunchy. Traditionally it is only the bottoms that are fried but we love that bit of tasty crunch on all sides.

Dipping sauces can be as simple as 50g Mega Chef oyster sauce, 10g p/w finely chopped shallot and 20g Leonardi white balsamic…..or just Mega Chef soy sauce with a side dish of some sort of chilli sambal. The commercial Chinese Loa Gan Ma although we prefer to add our own roasted chopped peanuts.

Copyright © Ann Oliver 2021 all rights reserved

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versatile...easy to make

everyone loves
dumplings

At the moment our favourite is a new recipe Tahina Soy Dressing mixed with an equal quantity of our Chilli Crab Marinade. Both keep extremely well and are fridge staples for us.

We also love the dumplings in soup our most recent favourite Pork and Baby King Mushroom Soup. Allow about 8 dumplings per person and a little chopped spring onion is a good garnish.

COOK’S NOTE

You can freeze the blanched dumplings, but we have had no success freezing excess raw dumping wrappers. Whilst we make a Malaysian sambal we always have a jar of Loa Gan Ma in the fridge. A favourite simple dinner, steamed rice, crispy fried egg, some chopped spring onion or shallot, tiny splash of soy.