It's too late to post the recipe and photo's of the dumplings that I made today but they are totally scrumdelicious!!!!! When I get time later this week, I will update this post with the recipe and photos. Making dumplings for the first time can prove a little tricky but with tips and a bit of practice you'll be making your own in no time. Pop them into the freezer and you have a delicious snack that you can prepare quickly. My kids love them and they are great for tots.... mmmmmmmmmmmmm.
A few days later and I've finally loaded the photo's....
If you have a cleaver, go to your local butcher and ask for pork belly and try mincing your own meat, this way you will end up with a spongey, moist filling that is flavoursome and juicy instead of dry.
Chinese cooks use two cleavers to mince their meat but I only feel comfortable using one thanks very much!
Here we are aiming for half fat and half lean pork so that the fat renders down whilst cooking and keeps the filling moist.
Slice the ginger then fan it out and shred it finely.
Then in a fan type motion with your knife or cleaver, dice the ginger finely in a similar way that you would finely chop herbs.
Mix the hot water into the flour first before adding the cold so that the water cooks the flour and it ends up looking like this. This is an important step as the hot water helps to make the dough elastic and it is easier to fill your dumpling wrappers.
Keep kneading the dough just like bread so that it ends up looking like the dough below.
Here, the gluten has started to relax and the dough is still soft and a little sticky. Try not to spread too much flour on your working surface or you will lose the stickiness in the dough. If you have to use a little flour only use cornflour otherwise, plain flour and the like will be absorbed into the dough and make it unmanageable.
Cut the dough into portions and cover them in plastic wrap ready for use.
Roll the portion of dough into a long rope and cut with a plastic scraper, similar to gnocchi. Notice that there isn't too much flour on the work surface.
Press the piece of dough down with the palm of your hand, cut surface facing up, so that a circle is formed then roll the wrapper as above. I have a dim sum rolling pin but you can go to your local hardware store and have a small bit of wood cut to suit.
When you fill the dumpling it is important to leave a a rim so that you can fold and pleat the wrapper. Oops, in the above photo I dredged the dumplings with too much cornflour which made it difficult to pleat and seal the wrapper - not good.
To form the dumpling, fill the wrapper, fold it in half then pinch the right hand corner. Start pleating the front side of the wrapper whilst pinching against the back of the wrapper and there you have it. Notice that I haven't dredged the bench or dumpling with much cornflour and the result is a lot better.
And, look there's more.... waaaaaaaaaaaa.
Next step is to post the recipe.... back soon.
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