ASIAN DUMPLINGS & WRAPPERS

It's melting! Spring is on the way. March is coming in like a lamb. So far.

As promised today we will discuss the versatile Asian dumpling. These little packages are delicious, easy to make, and contain just about any filling you can imagine. We will stick with basic Japanese and Chinese seasonings, but please expand your repertoire to all of Southeast Asia and the Pacific as well!

Making your own allows you the freedom of complete control over ingredients--- hot, salty, or not, and flexibility in shapes and cooking methods. You may make your own wrappers, too. They are made from flour, salt, tapioca or cornstarch, and sometimes eggs. However, getting them rolled and "right" is another story. Supermarket wraps work very well. If you can't find the shape you want, rounds, for example, simply cut them from the squares with biscuit cutters or pizza cutters (see photo).

Basic shapes include the pillow (looks like a raviola), the envelope pouch with twist variations, the crescent, and the roll (for spring roll type).

Cooking techniques depend on your plans for use. Boiled dumpling packets are added to soups and require a more secure wrap so they don't open during cooking. Open top styles contain fillings that finish best with steaming. Crescents or pot stickers are fried in a skillet. Rolls are usually deep fried in oil. Decide ahead if your little packages will be eaten with fingers or as soup, or a main course.

Fillings for Asian style dumplings are typically a combination of PROTEIN + VEGETABLE + SEASONINGS. Proteins may include pork, chicken, shellfish, beef, and tofu. Vegetables may include onion, scallion, leek, mushroom, bean sprout, bok choi, shredded carrot, shredded cabbage, daikon, etc. Seasonings include ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powders, cilantro, parsley, drops of sesame oil, etc. Classics are shrimp and ginger, pork and garlic, tofu with ginger and scallion. Again, experiment with your favorites and use what's in the refrigerator (or soon the garden) to make wonderful dishes from ingredients at hand.

Dipping sauces may be commercially purchased (chili pastes, for example) or simply made combinations of soy with ginger, wasabi powder or paste, and citrus juices. Sweetened rice vinegar with finely diced red onion or scallion is also popular. Use spicier dipping sauces with a mild filling, and a milder dipping sauce with spicy fillings to achieve balance in your meal.

Prepare your wrappers. See photos for ideas. Pillows are made from two squares (usually 3" squares, with a teaspoon (or more) of filling in between. Wet the area around the filling with your finger and the two pieces will stick together. Make a triangle shape by folding a square over a teaspoon of filling and seal. Make a wonton by folding a square (with filling) into a triangle and bringing the opposite tips of the dough together and sealing with water. Crescents are made with rounds (cut from 6" squares with cookie or biscuit cutters if you can't find rounds in the store), filled and sealed. Critical: be sure to neatly apply filling to wrapper, and seal well or filling will escape during cooking. Vary the size according to use as a meal course, or a finger food. My personal favorites use as little wrapper dough as possible--I don't roll and twist into the "candy wrapper" style--too much extra dough. I love pillows and crescents. Fancy restaurants often serve one large dumpling in a sauce or broth--it will have bigger filling and extra dough. See photo of large triangle with centered filling. Cut fancy shapes after filling if desired.

Basic Dumpling Filling (For about 20 dumplings)

Put into a food processor:

4 ounces boneless pork (a chop), trimmed of all fat and cubed
4 medium to large shrimp, cut in pieces
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1/4 bunch of cilantro, stems removed
Couple of Napa cabbage leaves, cut up before adding
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Pulse until well mixed and texture of meatloaf. If large ingredients are cut into cubes or chunks before processing, you will not over process. Don't make puree.

Scoop out into a smaller bowl for easier access.
Work station set up: Prepared wrapper shapes covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying (dry dough won't stick together), flat plate or plastic cutting board for filling and rolling, small bowl cold water for sticking dough together, teaspoon for measuring filling, another plate (lightly oiled to prevent dough from sticking to plate) for holding finished pieces, plastic wrap to cover finished pieces as you work so they don't dry out. Don't worry about perfection. You'll get the hang of it.

Now we cook. For boiled dumplings (won tons) to serve with your Dashi and other broths, bring a sauce pan of salted water to boil, gently drop in dumplings and simmer for about 12 minutes, depending on size. Test one by biting a corner of the dough to see if it is done (al dente). They will float like little clouds when done.

For steamed dumplings, the ideal is a wok and Chinese steamer, but you can make one with any large sauce pan and a vegetable steamer basket. Holding a round of dough in your hand, cup it like a little tulip and fill. If you can dry these first in cupcake tin or little molds, they hold together better. Bring water to a boil, place a couple of cabbage or lettuce leaves in the basket and set the "tulips" on top (provides support). Set steamer or rack over boiling water, cover, and steam for 12-15 minutes. If they collapse, roll them over onto themselves with a chopstick or soft spatula, and continue. They will taste fine.

For pan fried dumplings (pot stickers) use a two part method. First heat 2 tablespoons peanut or other vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil in non-stick try pan until hot. Add the crescents. Fry uncovered until they are nice and brown on first side. Adjust heat so they don't burn. Remove from heat momentarily, turn over with a plastic spatula, add 1/2 cup water and cover. Return to heat and cook another 2-3 minutes. Second side will not be browned. Remove from liquid and serve with your favorite dipping sauce (not catsup, please).

My favorite dipping sauce for pot stickers: 1/3 soy sauce, 2/3 citrus juice (usually lemon, but can be a combination of grapefruit, lemon, orange). Sweetened rice vinegar also delicious. Adjust proportions to your taste.

Can't wait to hear your results!

KGC

THE BOOK on far eastern cooking culture is Corinne Trang's "Essentials of Asian Cuisine: Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes" (2003). Take a look.