Daring Cooks Challenge: Jiao Zi Dumplings

First of all, I hope you’ll all forgive me for my absence and the lateness of this post but I’ve just returned from a country getaway and *shock* *horror*, I was sans internet for two days! At first I didn’t know whether I should bother posting about this especially since it’s not the most positive of experiences but I guess a commitment is a commitment, good or bad. Best to get this out of the way and then on to tackling my emails!

I love the Daring Cooks and Daring Bakers challenges. It allows us amateur cooks to make things that we’d never thought of cooking from scratch and, well, it challenges our skills…of course! In following that, there are going to be times when the challenge will frustrate, annoy and become the new poster-child recipe of tedium.

This is one of them.

Being of Chinese descent, jiao zi or gyoza as it’s known in Japan are a familiar sight on the dinner table. They are as common as rice in Asia though admittedly I don’t eat traditional Chinese food as much as our usual Malaysian / Indian cuisine.

I love baking and cooking European food and my Mother absolutely kills it in the kitchen when it comes to Malaysian, but Chinese food is noticeably absent amongst our cooking ventures bar the odd fried rice, congee or noodles. So on learning the latest Daring Cooks challenge, my excitement was palpable. I’ve never made dumplings from scratch and I never thought of ever doing it (yes ashamedly I rather go out and have a restaurant make it for me!).

But the excitement didn’t last long.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved the dumpling filling and I didn’t mind spending a good amount of time finely chopping dicing and mincing the ingredients to go into the filling. But the dumpling skins were a whole different story. I don’t know if it was me, the recipe, the weather or the stars’ alignment for June; it just didn’t work. From what I gathered from the Daring Kitchen forums, I may not be the only one but overall, they did a better end job than I did!

First the original recipe made for a dry dough that was tough to stretch and roll thinly. Then there was another version posted on the forums that used the boiling water method, which I was more traditionally familiar with. But it also made for a dry dough so more water had to be added.

The dough looked set to go after kneading and resting but looks can be deceiving. I found the dough too hard to roll thinly and it just wasn’t relaxed enough, despite letting it rest for an ample amount of time in a cosy, damp cloth. I rolled a large sheet of it so I could use cookie cutters to make perfect circles but the stubborn-ass dough just didn’t want to stretch as thinly as I would’ve liked. Also it appears that I wasn’t born to pleat, but that was 100% my flaw. Though admittedly it did get easier with each dumpling. Still impatience won out and I ended up just crimping the edges with a fork! I also tried the pleating that I usually do with curry puffs which worked quite well (where you press both edges together and pleat into waves).

At this point I was cranky. Really cranky. The dumplings I already made, I steamed as instructed but my gripe with the dough hit its peak when I saw how unappetising the steamed jiao zi was. It was an odd yellow colour, looked doughy and after a few minutes on the plate, it resembled some weird hybrid plasticene. Boiling it gave it a much better texture and at least it didn’t discolour. But still the wrapper was so unappealing, thick and stodgy looking that I let out a few expletives and thought to hell with the rest of it. I didn’t even want to try frying it into potstickers. Hence why there aren’t any photos of finished dumplings (trust me, they looked better before being cooked!).

They look innocent now…

The remaining pork filling I rolled into little meatballs and added it to a beautiful Asian broth made from chicken stock and infused with ginger, sesame oil, Chinese Shao Tsing Wine and shallots. Yum.

As for the filling, I found the original recipe a bit bland for my tastebuds so I added some much needed oomph with bit of oyster sauce, extra soy sauce, a pinch of salt, a little sprinkle of sugar, a splash of Chinese Shao Tsing Wine, Ginger Wine and extra sesame oil. It was so flavoursome that if it weren’t for the dumpling skins, these would make for some killer jiao zi. Even better if dipped in sweet Japanese dipping sauce or maybe ponzu if you prefered something tangier.

So it’s fair to say that I’ll never use this recipe again and no doubt, I’ll stick to buying fresh wrappers from the Asian grocers as it will save me from an afternoon of blue-sailor cursing. This is the one case where I rather buy it than make it but I do encourage you to try the recipe for yourself. Chances are you’ll probably do a better job than I did! But all is not lost because that beautiful filling made for some soothing meatball soup that I’m now enjoying on this crisp and chilly winter’s night.

The June’s Daring Cooks Challenge was hosted by Jen from Use Real Butter who has chosen Jiao Zi or Gyoza.

One of the better looking dumplings…


Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers

pork filling:

1 lb (450g) ground pork
4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
3 stalks green onions, minced
7 shitake mushrooms, minced (if dried – rehydrated and rinsed carefully)
1/2 cup (75g) bamboo shoots, minced
1/4 (55g) cup ginger root, minced
3 tbsp (40g) soy sauce
2 tbsp (28g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

OR

shrimp filling:

1/2 lb (225g) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb (225g) ground pork
3 stalks green onions, minced
1/4 cup (55g) ginger root, minced
1 cup (142g) water chestnuts, minced
1 tsp (5g) salt
3 tbsp (40g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

dough: (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches – or just halve the filling recipe)
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface

dipping sauce:

2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)

Method

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly (I mix by clean hand). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).

Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

Make the dough, Method 2 (my mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.

[EDIT: 5/26/09] There have been two complaints posted about a dry dough and I realize that this rests in the problem of measuring flour which has a different density and hence weight for 2 cups depending on how you scoop it. That is why I also list the weight: 250g. Flour tends to settle over time, so when I scoop it out, I shake several cups’ worth back into the container before taking a final scoop of soft, fluffy, flour and I get 250g for 2 cups. When you knead the dough, if it feels hard and dry, then you can add more water. [Warning: it will NOT be a soft bread dough, so don't expect it to be, but it shouldn't be a brick either.] It is perfectly fine to use more than the 1/2 cup listed in the recipe as everyone’s climate and flours vary. Use your judgment – this is what being a Daring Cook is about. We are trying to cultivate a sense of intuition so that recipes are general guidelines from which you can expand your own style.

Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking – about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in post for how to fold pleats). Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.

To boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add dumplings to pot. Boil the dumplings until they float.

To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.

To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

To freeze: Assemble dumplings on a baking sheet so they are not touching. It helps to rub the base of the dumpling in a little flour before setting on the baking sheet for ease of release. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. Prepare per the above instructions, but allow extra time to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked.

To serve: Serve dumplings or potstickers hot with your choice of dipping sauce combinations.