Dumplings are an aboslute staple of the Asian table, and have long been a favourite of Australian diners too. When matching with wine, dumplings always love the simplicity of fresh and bright textures and flavours: we think a Semillon is the ideal pairing to add real lift.
Images and text from Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class by Tony Tan, photography by Mark Roper. Murdoch Books RRP $59.99.
INGREDIENTS
200g peeled green prawns, chopped
200g minced chicken
50g carrots, finely diced
50g tinned or frozen bamboo shoots, finely diced
5 pieces dried bamboo pith, soaked in water until soft, then drained and diced (available at Asian grocers)
2 tbsp coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped
1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
1/2 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
Pinch of caster (superfine) sugar (optional)
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Dumpling wrappers
2/3 cup wheat starch
2/3 cup tapioca flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
300ml boiling water
1 tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for greasing
Light soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar or chilli sauce, to serve
METHOD
1. For the filling, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
2. For the dumpling wrappers, add the wheat starch, tapioca flour and salt to a bowl and mix well. Pour in the boiling water all at once and stir quickly with a pair of chopsticks to incorporate the flour. Add the oil and continue to stir until a ball forms. Turn the hot dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until the dough is smooth and pliable. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes to rest.
3. Before working with the dough, lightly oil the work surface. Roll the dough into a long cylinder and cut in two. Cover one cylinder with a hot, damp tea towel or place it in plastic wrap while you cut the other cylinder into 2.5cm (1-inch) pieces (you should have about 10-12 pieces). It is best to make these wrappers in multiples of five, keeping the remaining pieces under a damp tea towel or in plastic, because you want the dough to remain soft and pliable.
4. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out the dough with a well-oiled cleaver or a rolling pin to form 9-10cm discs (if you’re using a rolling pin, roll the dough out between two sheets of oiled plastic wrap). Place a wrapper on your palm and spoon 2 teaspoons of the filling onto the centre. Then, with your thumb and forefinger, gather opposite ends of the wrapper and fold together, pinching in the middle. To form a windmill shape, with your other hand, push the exposed corners into the centre. Pinch the edges to seal. Cover the dumplings as you go to prevent them drying out, and repeat with remaining dough and filling.
5. Place the dumplings in steamer baskets lined with silicon or baking paper studded with holes, then cover and steam over simmering water in a wok, for 6-8 minutes or until translucent.