Making Dumplings - bao JIAOZI 包饺子

This entry is especially for my Fellow mad hatterians ;)

We recently had a dumpling making party at home.  One of our friends had a strict gluten free diet so we had plenty of fun making an alternative G-free dumpling wrapper.  We prepared most of the filling in advance and invited our friends to arrive in time for wrapping- this is surely the best part!

Dumplings come in a number of forms in chinese, japanese and korean cuisine. They can be boiled, steamed, pan fried ( gyoza - or pot stickers , the Japanese versions) or deep friend (wanton) . There are variations of fillings and the skin of the dumplings. The version we made here are a common northern Chinese type, typically meat-based wrapped in a wheat flour skin.

Ingredients for Pork Dumplings: 

1. premade dumpling skins ( available in chiller section of Asian supermarket)

2. Minced pork 

3. Ginger

4. Water chestnuts ( fresh or canned ones from Asian supermarket)

5. Spring onions

6. Pak Choi , you could use napa or savoy cabbage as well. 

7. Dried shitake mushrooms ( available in Asian supermarkets) 

Seasoning: 

White pepper

Soy sauce ( use Tamari for gluten free dish) 

Sesame oil

Traditional Dip: 
Black Zhejiang Vinegar with strips of fresh ginger

Alternatively we like to use a chilli dip, you can experiment and find your own!

Pre made dumpling skins. Buy them close to the dates you make them!

Ingredients for Vegetable dumplings: 

1. Dumplings skins ( same as above) 

2. All of above ingredients minus minced pork. 

3. Tofu ( for this entry we used Okara,the soya bean mush left over from making soy milk) 

4. Dried Black fungus mushroom ( avail. at asian supermarkets) 

5. Egg 

The dumpling skin is the bit to look out for if you would like to have gluten free versions. Essentially fillings of the dumplings are the same but you can make your own gluten free dumpling skins as we have not came across g-free premade ones.  We got the recipe from this blog.  And were amazed and impressed by the gelling power of Xantham gum !!

Diced Pak Choi

Straining diced Pak Choi with a muslin cloth

Soaked and softened Black Fungus.

Soaked and Softened Dried Shitake, sliced. (Pre diced!)

Filling for Veg Dumpling ready to be seasoned and mixed.  Here I used carrot as well.  The tofu and egg is missing from the picture. 

Method: 

1. Preparing the filling is a large part of the making! It is good to remember that you need them very tiny to fit into the dumpling!

2. Soak dried mushrooms and black fungus in warm water till soft ( 30mins at least) Cut off stalk and slice mushroom about 2-3mm thick then dice the slices into rectangular bits. 

3. Skin and dice water chestnuts ( if canned, it would be skinned) into approx 0.5x0.5 cm cubes. 

4. Chop spring onions into a similar size as water chestnuts. 

5. Grate some ginger and also slice some into very fine strips. 

6. Wash, chop and dice pakchoi or greens into a similar size like water chestnuts. As veges contain lots of water, it ll be important to use a muslin cloth to wrap around it and squeeze out as much liquid as you can- to avoid a soggy bottom dumpling ! 

7. Add diced veg to minced pork and season with soy sauce, sesame oil and dash of white pepper. Mix thoroughly for an even filing ! 

8. For the veggie dumpling, add diced ingredients , mash tofu, egg and mix thoroughly ! Tofu and egg are acting as a coagulant here! 

You are now ready to wrap your dumpling, with help from a dab of water on the skin to help it stick!

This is one of many traditional ways to wrap it! You can see other videos on Youtube for guidance.

Otherwise experiment and find your own unique way! Keep in mind that you want them to be bite size, with as little air pockets within and seal it carefully so it wouldn't unravel during cooking! Stretching the skin GENTLY on all sides helps to increase the flexibility abit! You want to have a slightly damp cloth over the stack of dumpling skins as it would dry out very fast if left exposed.

Don't be discouraged if they turn out odd looking, you will get the hang of it by making more!  Just be sure to SEAL IT TIGHT so it wouldn't 'leak' during the cooking process.

How many different shapes can you spot?

Dumplings in All shapes and sizes! Unleash your creativity!

Cooking: 

Depending on how you like your dumplings, you can cook them differently. Steaming are great for light cooking and intricately wrapped aka delicately shaped dumplings! Otherwise, the usual northern chinese way is to boil them.

-BOILING- Bring a pot of water to boil, and tip dumplings in.  They are ready when they begin to float on the surface.  Depending on the size of your dumpling and amount of filling, this should take 3-6 minutes.

-PAN-FRYING- Choose a pan with a cover.  Oil pan lightly with a small amount of cooking oil.  You can tip in 1/2 teaspoon and swirl pan around.  When the oil starts smoking, put in your dumplings and continuously shake the pan to prevent it from sticking.  It will begin to brown slightly on the outside.  splash a few drops of water on the dumplings ( be very careful!) and cover pan immediately to flash steam the dumplings!  One can also add a dash of soya sauce or chilli sauce just before the water step.

Eat your boiled dumplings fresh from the pot, they tend to stick together if left to cool!

Something for everyone!
Left hand: G-free dumplings, boiled and panfried.
Right hand: Meat dumplings and Veg dumplings, boiled.

Additional photos courtesy of Reena! Who wisely clicked them before we sat down and wolfed through the dumplings :)

Story deli pizza

On an after dinner walk one evening, we noticed an interesting corner shop in our local area. The glass windows revealed larger tables with some chairs and many interesting white/ cream coloured arty objects hanging from the ceiling. The place was lit with large candles and really warmed up the romantic in you! We were very curious about this place- as we could not discern what the shop was about- what does it sell ?? Was it an artist studio? 

At a tiny corner, we spied what looked like an 8in pizza sat in brown paper atop a stool. There was a scrawl with an arrow indicating 'pizza' . Intrigued, we headed in that direction to find a nondescript unnamed restaurant hidden behind some curtained entrance. The place was lively and the ambience was just as romantic. We made a mental note to return to try the food. 

This turned out to be story deli. A pretty popular gourmet pizza eatery. They pride themselves on their use of organic ingredients and serve only pizza, drinks and 3 choices of dessert. 

Interestingly their 'pizza' is also one of a kind! It was different, delicious and so filling it also became lunch for one of us the next day! The base was like a flat bread- super crisp and thin made with no yeast at all. We ordered pizzas with a pesto base and the toppings ... Man that was like a whole salad on top of the pizza! Thrilling for the vegetarian but also kinda intimidating! Simply presented on a board. This pizza had grilled shrimp with spices, roasted peppers, mozzarella and ALOT OF ROCKET! It was pretty awesome except that the olive oil was too generous and one became full very quickly ! It was also challenging to eat this as you can imagine! The ingredients are heavier than the base and the pesto was dropping off each bite! 

The next one was a mushroom, mozzarella, onions, rocket and pepper combination! The mushrooms are hidden under the foliage ... 

A sense of how thin the pizza is! 

Rustic and romantic interior ;) It was a lovely meal out, with enough to pack as a salad lunch the next day!  Oh yes, it was a pinch on the pocket too , each pizza was priced at a whopping £17 !!! Quality ingredients and quality time spent together eating ;) also got us thinking reflectively about what makes a pizza ? Does this constitute as one??