Dumplings with an Ice Flower Skirt

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground meat (Pork or beef; seasoned with salt, soy sauce, white pepper, five spice powder, and sichuan peppercorn powder)
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (For filling)
• 2 tbsp Water (For filling moisture)
• 1 tsp All-purpose flour (Binder for filling)
• 1 Egg (For filling)
• 3 Green onion (Minced)
• 1 inch Ginger (Minced)
• 2 tbsp Cooking oil (Heated until hot to pour over aromatics)
• 2 cup Napa cabbage (Purged (salted and squeezed of excess water) and minced)
• 250 g All-purpose flour (For wrapper dough)
• 140 ml Water (For wrapper dough; adjust based on flour thirst)
• 0.5 tsp Salt (For dough)
• 1 tbsp All-purpose flour (For slurry)
• 0.5 tbsp Starch (Cornstarch or potato starch for slurry)
• 0.5 tsp Baking powder (For slurry)
• 1 cup Water (For slurry)
• Chinese black vinegar (For dipping sauce)
• Soy sauce (For dipping sauce)
• Sugar (For dipping sauce)
• Chili oil (For dipping sauce)
• Sesame oil (For dipping sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, season the ground meat with salt, soy sauce, white pepper, five spice powder, and sichuan peppercorn powder.

2. 2

   Mix the meat with Chinese cooking wine, water, a little flour, and one egg. Stir the mixture in one direction only until it becomes a cohesive, slightly sticky paste.

3. 3

   Add minced green onion and ginger to the top of the meat. Heat a small amount of oil until shimmering, then pour the hot oil directly over the green onion and ginger to release their fragrance.

4. 4

   Mix in the purged (salted and squeezed dry) napa cabbage until well combined.

5. 5

   Prepare the dough: Combine 250g all-purpose flour, 140ml water, and a pinch of salt. Knead the dough until smooth, then let it rest (covered) until it is supple and easy to work with.

6. 6

   Roll out the dough and wrap the dumplings with the prepared filling in your desired shape.

7. 7

   Prepare the slurry: Whisk together 1 tbsp flour, 1/2 tbsp starch, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1 cup water in a small bowl.

8. 8

   Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Place the dumplings in the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes until the bottoms are slightly set.

9. 9

   Pour the slurry mixture into the pan around the dumplings. Cover with a lid and steam on medium-low heat.

10. 10

    Once the dumplings appear translucent (indicating they are cooked through), remove the lid.

11. 11

    Increase heat to medium-high and continue to fry until the water in the slurry has evaporated and the remaining solids form a crispy, golden-brown lattice skirt.

12. 12

    Place a large plate upside down over the pan and carefully flip the pan to release the dumplings with the skirt intact.

13. 13

    Serve immediately with a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, chili oil, and a little sesame oil.

Notes

Mixing the meat in one direction only is a traditional technique to develop the protein structure, resulting in a springy texture. For the skirt, ensure the pan is non-stick for the best results.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• appetizer
• dumplings
• pan-fried
• Chinese New Year
• Lunar New Year
• pork
• crispy