Best Water Dumplings Recipes

PORK AND NAPA CABBAGE WATER DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To make the filling, put the cabbage in a bowl and toss with the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside for about 15 minutes to draw excess moisture from the cabbage. Drain in a mesh strainer (the cabbage could fall through the large holes of a colander), flush with water, and drain again. To remove more moisture, squeeze the cabbage in your hands over the sink, or put on a cotton kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and wring out the moisture over the sink. You should have about 1/2 cup firmly packed cabbage.
• Transfer the cabbage to a bowl and add the ginger, Chinese chives, and pork. Use a fork or spatula to stir and lightly mash the ingredients so that they start coming together.
• In a small bowl, stir together the remaining scant 1/2 teaspoon salt, the white pepper, chicken stock, soy sauce, rice wine, canola oil, and sesame oil. Pour these seasonings over the pork and cabbage mixture, then stir and fold the ingredients together. Once the pork has broken up, briskly stir to blend the ingredients into a cohesive, thick mixture. There should not be any visible large chunks of pork. To develop the flavors, cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. You should have about 2 cups of filling. (The filling can be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before assembling the dumplings.)
• In the meantime, make 16 wrappers from half of the dough. Aim for 3 1/4-inch-diameter wrappers (see page 24).
• Before assembling the dumplings, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (If you plan to refrigerate the dumplings for several hours, or freeze them, lightly dust the paper with flour to avoid sticking.) For each dumpling, hold a wrapper in a slightly cupped hand. Scoop up about 1 tablespoon of filling with a bamboo dumpling spatula, dinner knife, porfork and position it slightly off-center toward the upper half of the wrapper, pressing and shaping it into a flat mound and keeping about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of wrapper clear on all sides. Then fold, pleat, and press to enclose the filling and create half-moons, pea pods, big hugs, or pleated crescents (see pages 26 to 29).
• Place the finished dumpling on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the other wrappers, assembling the dumplings and spacing them a good 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet. Keeping the finished dumplings covered with a dry kitchen towel, form and fill the wrappers from the remaining dough.
• Once all the dumplings are assembled, they can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for several hours; they can be cooked straight from the refrigerator. (For longer storage, freeze them on the baking sheet until hard (about 1 hour), transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag, pressing out excess air before sealing, and keep them frozen for up to 1 month; partially thaw, using your finger to smooth over any cracks that may have formed during freezing, before cooking.)
• To cook the dumplings, half-fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add half the dumplings, gently dropping each one into the water. Nudge the dumplings apart with a wooden spoon to keep them from sticking together and/or to the bottom of the pot. Return the water to a simmer and then lower the heat to maintain the simmer and gently cook: a hard boil can make a dumpling burst. Cook the dumplings for about 8 minutes, or until they float to the surface, look glossy, and are puff ed up and a tad translucent. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to scoop up the dumplings from the pot, a few at a time, pausing the spoon's motion over the pot to allow excess water to drip back down before putting the dumplings on a serving plate. Cover the plate with a large inverted bowl to keep the dumplings warm.
• Return the water to a boil and cook the remaining dumplings. When done, return the first batch to the hot water to reheat for a minute or two. There is no need to reboil.
• Serve the hot dumplings immediately, placing the serving plate in the middle of the table for people to reach to or pass along. Serve the soy dipping sauce either in a communal bowl with a spoon for people to help themselves or divided up among individual rice bowls or large dipping sauce dishes. To eat, pick up a dumpling with chopsticks (you can stab it if you like) and dip or roll it in the dipping sauce. Getting an assist from a soup spoon or the rice bowl, deliver the dumpling to your mouth with the chopsticks. If there are juices inside, they'll spill out into the spoon or bowl when you bite into the dumpling.

VIETNAMESE TAPIOCA WATER DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To make the scallion oil, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a scallion ring upon contact, add the scallions and stir immediately to evenly cook. When the scallions have collapsed and are soft, about 30 seconds, transfer to a small heatproof bowl, and set aside to cool completely.
• To make the filling, add the oil to the hot skillet. Add the shallot and cook, stirring constantly, for about 45 seconds, or until fragrant and beginning to brown. Add the pork, stirring and mashing it into small pieces, and cook for about 1 minute, or until it is no longer pink. Add the shrimp, salt, sugar, pepper, and fish sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, or until the flavors have concentrated, there is little liquid left , and the mixture is lightly sizzling. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely. You should have about 1 cup. (The scallion oil and filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and brought to room temperature before using.)
• To make the sauce, combine the sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, and shrimp shell stock in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar, taste, and make any flavor adjustments. Add the chiles and set aside until serving time.
• To make the dough, combine the tapioca starch, wheat starch, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the water. Stir until the water has been absorbed and the mixture is lumpy. Add the 2 tablespoons oil and work it in before pressing the ingredients together into a rough ball. Knead for 1 to 2 minutes on an unfloured work surface, until the dough is snowy white, smooth, and very malleable. Cut into 4 pieces and put in a zip-top plastic bag and seal well. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest before using. This dough can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance and kept at room temperature in the bag.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Working with 1 piece of dough at a time to form the wrappers, roll it on an unfloured work surface into an 8-inch log. (If the dough cracks when rolled, a sign of dryness, very lightly oil your hands and knead it into the dough.) Cut the log into 8 pieces. Follow the instructions on "Forming Wrappers from Wheat Starch Dough" (page 133) to shape thick circles that are about 2 3/4 inches in diameter.
• Once a batch of wrappers is finished, assemble some dumplings. For each dumpling, hold a wrapper in a slightly cupped hand. Position about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling slightly off-center toward the upper half of the wrapper, gently pressing down to compact and keeping about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of wrapper clear on all sides. Bring up the edge and seal to make a half-moon (see page 26 for details on this shape). Seal well by pressing the rim to meld the edges into one. Set the finished dumpling on the prepared baking sheet. Make more dumplings from the remaining wrappers, set them on the baking sheet spaced apart slightly, and cover them with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Continue making wrappers and assembling dumplings. The dumplings can sit for about 1 hour before cooking but cannot be refrigerated.
• To cook, fill a large pot two-thirds full with water and bring to a boil. Add the dumplings in batches of 8 to 12; they should float right up to the surface. After the water returns to a boil (cover the pot if it is a slow go), adjust the heat to gently boil the dumplings for 6 minutes, flipping them midway. They are done when glossy and the rims look mostly clear. Meanwhile, partially fill a bowl with warm water and set near the stove. Spread about one-third of the scallion oil garnish on 2 serving plates and set nearby. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the cooked dumplings, pausing at the top to allow excess water to fall back into the pot. Deposit them in the water bowl and let them sit in the water for about 30 seconds; this removes excess starch. Transfer them to the serving plates. Cover with an aluminum foil tent or inverted bowl while you cook the remaining dumplings.
• These dumplings are best warm, but are fine at room temperature. Top them with the remaining scallion oil, then present with the sauce. Enjoy with a spoon and fork or chopsticks.

WATER DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except egg and egg roll skins in electric mixer. Blend evenly. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Cut egg rolls into a circle shape. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of the skin. Brush egg around the outside edge of the skin. Fold into half-moon shape and press together tightly. Cook dumplings in 3 quarts boiling water for 7 minutes. Serve.

3-MINUTE WATER DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Into mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add remaining ingredients; mix until blended. Drop by spoonfuls into boiling salted water; cover; boil for 3 minutes; drain. Serves 4 to 6 Bon Appetit!