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RECIPE GUIDE

Thanks for joining the Dumpling Dinner Party! You’re ready to host your own party now!If you post any pics, please tag @eatingwithedmund - especially if you’re inspired to cook after this experience, I’d love to see what you create. Reviews and word of mouth help other people find me and make a big difference in search and visibility of my experience. If you enjoyed the experience, I really appreciate reviews and referrals.

DUMPLING STUFFING (PORK)

0.3 lb ground pork per person (at least 15% fat, ideally ground with pork butt and shoulder)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
Handful of chopped green scallions, or blanched & minced spinach
Finely chopped or grated garlic & ginger

Mix these together and freeze briefly (about an hour) to make the stuffing easier to work with. Any leftover stuffing may be frozen or cooked with a rice dish as a topping. If using beef stuffing, mix in one egg per pound of ground beef. I don't recommend using chicken as it will be too lean resulting in a dry meat.

DUMPLING STUFFING (VEG)

Brunoise soft tofu (Hodo Tofu brand recommended; firm tofu also will work but won't absorb sauce as well)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
Handful of chopped green scallions, or blanched & minced spinach
- Optional, as pictured below: brunoised carrots, mushrooms, glass noodles
Finely chopped or grated garlic & ginger

In the sesame oil, stir fry the carrots, then tofu, then mushrooms together; add soy sauce after mushrooms go in. Add your blanched and minced spinach near the end of the stir fry. Taste as you go: you want to make sure it's salty enough to hold up against the dumpling dough. Freeze briefly to make the stuffing easier to work with. Any leftover stuffing may be frozen or cooked with a rice dish as a topping. Use 0.3lb of this mixture per 10 dumplings.

DUMPLING DOUGH 饺子皮

For 10 dumplings, 70g all purpose flour, 10-12% protein will work (have more on standby)
3oz room temperature water

Put the flour in a large bowl and add a splash of water, and mix. Then, slowly, add some more water a bit at a time, while mixing with your hand. Mix until shaggy. Gather and knead until it has a Play-Doh-like consistency (“soft as an earlobe”). Cover tightly with a clean paper towel. Let stand for 30-60 mins.Break up into small pieces, either by hand or bench scraper to cut into even pieces, and smash with the palm of your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a circle by hand.

CHILI SAUCE 辣椒油

Lao Gan Ma chili oil
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Sugar
Grated garlic & ginger
Chinkiang Black vinegar

Combine a ratio of these sauces and ingredients to your heart’s content. Use the chili oil as a base.

WRAPPING & COOKING DUMPLINGS

Wrap either by pleating or pinching, making sure all air bubbles are pushed out. Put finished dumplings on a plate dusted with flour. When ready to cook, drop in a rolling pot of boiling water. When the water re-boils, add a little bit of cold water. When the water re-boils again, take out the dumplings for serving.

SOY SAUCE BRAISED PORK BELLY 红烧肉

2 lbs pork belly, ideally skin on, cut into 1-in cubes (can substitute chicken thigh, legs)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine, or bourbon / brandy
1 stick of cinnamon, 3-4 star anise
1 chopped carrot
1 clove of garlic, for taste while boiling pork belly

Fill a large saucepan with water and add a clove of garlic. Bring to a boil and drop pork belly cubes. Return to boil and cook until scum appears and the water returns to a boil. Drain, discard garlic clove, set aside. (If using chicken, no need to do this)In a Dutch oven, melt the sugar in soy sauce. Once melted, sear pork belly skin side down in a single layer. Cook until caramel, about 5 minutes. (If using chicken, just briefly brown the skin) The brown color from soy sauce should have crept up the pork belly ⅓ of the way up; add cooking wine, carrots, star anise and cinnamon. Cover pork with water (or beer) until all pork is submerged. Simmer (leave on low heat) for 2 hours at minimum. It’s ready when a chopstick can easily slide through meat, fat and skin. 4-4½ hours is ideal. It’s even better if you make it ahead of time: Refrigerate and reheat before serving, after skimming the congealed fat. Serves ~2 people every 1 lb of meat you have; this serves 4.Note: The same technique applies for a boeuf borgonon or coq au vin. Substitute soy sauce with wine as the braise, and ripe tomatoes or tomato paste as extra umami flavors.

SOY SAUCE BRAISED TOFU 红烧豆腐

10-16 oz of firm tofu, cut into large cubes, I recommend Hodo Tofu
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
1 stick of cinnamon, 3-4 star anise
1 chopped carrot
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I like California Olive Ranch)

Preheat oven to 450F. In a Dutch oven or baking pan (deep enough to hold sauce), mix the sugar with soy sauce. Once mixed, put your cubes of tofu in with Xiaoxing wine, cinnamon, anise and carrot slices. Put in oven for 15 mins. Take out the pan at 15 minutes and flip each tofu over, then drizzle or spray some olive oil on top - this crisps up the top layer. Return to oven for 15 minutes, and remove. Let cool and serve over rice and vegetables.

TANG YUAN 汤圆

For the red bean filling (you can also buy this premade, but you can't control the sugar as well)

1/4c dried adzuki red beans
Pot of boiling water
1/4c cup sugar

For the dough

500g glutinous rice flour (or you may see this Thai one in stores)
1.5c warm water

If using raw red beans, soak overnight in water. After soaking, drain the beans and boil them in a pot of hot water. Add the sugar. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours (the beans should never be poking above the water, so you may need to replenish).After 2 hours, pierce the red beans with a fork to check for doneness; they should be super soft. Once the beans have completely softened, turn the heat up to medium and simmer with the lid off to evaporate the excess moisture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm.To make the dough, it's just like what we did in class: Add the glutinous rice flour and water. Stir until it becomes a shaggy dough and cool enough to handle. If the dough is too dry, add boiling water a teaspoon or two at a time as needed. Dump the shaggy dough out onto a clean surface and knead it together to form a soft and round dough.No resting is necessary (no glutens, no rest!) -- Pop off dough bits and turn into ball. Flatten slightly and create a crater to scoop out about 1/2 tsp of red bean paste and place it in the center of the dough. Press the red bean filling into the center and roll the dough edges to create a small wall around the filling. Pinch the walls to seal in the filling and roll in your hands until it becomes a smooth ball. Roll the tang yuan in rice flour to prevent it from sticking and place on a baking sheet. You can cook directly or freeze (use lots of flour to make sure they don't stick together before freezing) and use the double boil technique, the same as our dumplings.

Thanks for joining! Come back for more classes, or give the gift of dumplings.

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