JIAOZI DUMPLINGS

Jiaozi Dumplings image

Provided by Mary Kate Tate

Yield Makes 60

Number Of Ingredients 12

Filling
2 1/2 cups minced napa cabbage
1/2 teaspoon salt
11 ounces ground pork
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup minced green onions, green and white parts
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
About 60 round Dumpling Wrappers (purchased premade, or see sub-recipe )
Chinese black rice vinegar, for dipping

Steps:

To make the filling, toss the cabbage and salt together in a large bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain the cabbage in a colander over a sink and use your hands to squeeze out excess moisture.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, pork, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, ginger, green onions, and pepper. Stir in one direction with a chopstick until just mixed.
To form the dumplings, rest a wrapper in the palm of your hand and place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center. Dip your finger in a bowl of water and run it around the edge to help make a good seal. Lightly fold the wrapper over on itself but don't touch the edges together. Starting at one end, use your fingers to make a small pleat on the side of the wrapper closed to you, then press the pleat into the other side and pinch together firmly. Keep making pleats down the dumpling opening in this way until completely sealed. Repeat this process with the remaining filling and wrappers.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop half of the dumplings into the water and stir once so they don't stick together. When the water boils again, add 1 cup of cold water to the pot. Then when it boils again, add 3 cups of cold water. The third time the water boils, the dumplings are cooked. Remove them with a slotted spoon and repeat with the remaining dumplings. Serve immediately with small bowls of Chinese black rice vinegar for dipping.