Seeing how it’s the 14th both in Singapore and London… (Still not used to the 8 hour time difference. Christ.)
This month’s challenge wasn’t, well, much of a challenge for me: jiao zi (饺子), or guo tie (锅贴) – it depends on how it’s been cooked – otherwise known as Chinese dumplings or potstickers. I make these often enough that they don’t even warrant a mention anywhere. In fact, I think the only time I did mention them online was that one time I happened to make them whilst doing that ‘photograph all you cook for one week’ challenge.
Just as well it wasn’t anything new to me, since this one was done in something of a rush, that one free London day I had in the midst of all my travelling last month. As I was hurrying it through even then for the sake of the other errands I had to run too, I fear I was, erm, a tad sloppy, photography-wise. Apologies in advance for the poor quality of the shots.
This month’s recipe was provided by Jenyu of Use Real Butter.
We were given a choice between a pork-based filling, and a shrimp-based one. Seeing as how I’d been dying for an excuse to buy those gorgeously huge tiger prawns at the fishmonger’s near my place, and greatly heartened by the fact that the nearby Sainsbury’s had taken to selling water chestnuts, I went for the latter.
The problem with things you’re very familiar with – in particular, things you’ve never referred to a recipe for, ever – is that you tend to ‘do things your own way’, so as to speak. In the spirit of the challenge, I decided to stay as close to the list of filling ingredients as possible. Here’s what was listed for the 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
I’m afraid I left out the ginger root – I hate that stuff, and won’t use it unless absolutely necessary. I used light soy sauce in place of salt (because I think it tastes better), and also added a dash of Chinese wine (I find it tends to make the dumplings ‘lighter’). More corn starch than listed was thus used (however much more, I don’t know) in order to sufficiently bind this somewhat wetter filling mixture.
Apparently, the real challenge here was making your own dough, and rolling it out as thinly as possible, before folding the lot into dumplings. The dough’s really just flour and water. I usually toss in a pinch of salt too. The proportions given were 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour to 1/2 cup (113g) warm water, and extra flour for worksurface. Personally, I say just go with however much flour and water it takes to get a dough which feels right (I quote from the recipe given, ‘a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch’), since a lot depends on the flour you’re using and where you’re making it. I know I tend to use a lot less water and a lot more flour when making them in Singapore than in London.
(Note: It was suggested somewhere in the recipe thread that it was easier to add flour to a wet dough, than to add water to a dry dough. Personally, I prefer making a drier dough, and keeping a handy bowl of water by my side. This is because the dough tends to get wet as it stands anyway. Particularly in Singapore. Should the dough really get too dry, a couple of finger-dabs of water usually does the trick.)
Having mixed the filling and rolled out the dough, next came sealing the dumplings. Apparently, there was a guide for pleating the dough. Which I only realised days after I had made them. *headdesk* Ah well. That should teach me to read things more carefully in the future. Here’s the guide for those who would like a look. Otherwise, this is how I seal my dumplings, one-hand E****-style:
Place the wrapper with the filling on the palm of your hand. Notice how jiao zi tend to have this funny sort of crescent shape, convex on one side, concave on the other, and flat on the bottom? The bottom’s flat where it rests on your palm. The convex side is obtained by moulding it against the curl/curve of your four fingers behind, and the concave side is the result of shaping via the thumb as you press the edges close with the tips/pads of your thumb and four fingers. Fast and easy. Feel free to pleat/crimp/pinch the edges after you’re done for added aesthetic appeal, if you like. (I swear all this, even the ‘pleating’, can be done with one hand.)
Notice the size? See, I have this thing about sizes. I usually make pork-filled jiao zi on the larger-than-normal side, because pork usually strikes me as something hearty and filling. Sort of why we have pork-filled buns. On the other hand, prawn-based fillings usually strike me as more delicate, like the har gao you get during dim sum. Thus the smaller-than-normal size of these dumplings. (Note: Smaller dumplings are harder to pinch shut single-handedly. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)
One way of serving these is to fry them, as you may see in my first picture. Fried Chinese dumplings are called guo tie (锅贴), which is where the term ‘potstickers’ come from. 锅 = pot. 贴 = stick. Normally, only the base ever really comes into contact with the pan, giving it a nice, brown bottom. I usually like giving the other two sides on the top a bit of a fry too, though, before I return them to the base-touching-pot position and adding the water. I find it makes the dough a little more bite, not to mention that lovely fried-ish taste, but that’s probably just me. Eat with a vinegar-based dip.
When not fried, they are just known as jiao zi (饺子), which is really just a name for such dumplings. You can steam them (again eaten with a vinegar-based dip), and you can boil them. Here, I boiled them, and served them with Chinese noodles and soup. The soup’s from a stock of prawn, chicken, and kelp. (The heads and shells of the prawns used above, chicken bones, and Japanese konbu boiled together in water which, as it is boiled, is reduced.)
I’m just staggering off to bed, 1:30am here, but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this post. I haven’t made Chinese dumplings since my Ohio days in the kitchen of a Chinese student friend and now you’ve thrown a craving on me. *g*
Oddly enough, it’s the “march of the pots stickers” photo that pushed me over the edge. I love the texture of dough at that stage before it “magically” transforms in the cooking process.
Thanks for sharing, Petal. ♥
Oh, have I? Excellent. Now, goest thou forth into thy kitchen and makest some. Thou knowest thou wantest too. *g*
Cheers! ♥
Gyozaaaaaa *O*
Hee! 😀
These look gorgeous. I wonder what filling you’d put in a vegetarian version..? *g*
Hm. Now that’s an interesting thought! A mix consisting of a selection from, or perhaps even all of, the following: shredded Chinese cabbage, grated carrots, sliced/diced shitake mushrooms, minced water chestnuts, sliced bamboo shoots, grated turnip, chopped spring onions. Perhaps even glass noodles too – I imagine that’ll give it quite an interesting texture and bite! The beauty of Chinese dumplings lies in the fact that you can put anything in then. I make dessert ones by filling them with red bean paste and steaming/frying them – something which is vegetarian too. *g*
(Mind, I could be coaxed into making them, if presented with large enough a bribe… *g*)
Ooh, now what kind of bribe would be suitable..? *g*
Well… *rubs chin thoughtfully*
(Fic, she says hopefully? I’ll even make it for the whole house in September, though I’ll probably resort to commercially-made wrappers as making the dough from scratch can be quite a mess. Heck, I’ll even throw in Chinese vegetarian chicken, if I can find the ingredients. Yes, vegetarian chicken. *g*)
Okay, that is just… bizarre… Because and I went to a Chinese/Thai restaurant last night, and we had vegetarian duck in crispy duck pancakes. And there was lots of vegetarian chicken on the menu. And it tasted good! And it was the first time I’d heard of it! And… now… you! What is it?! Where do you get it?
And oooh – vegetarian potstickers for the whole house in September? You’re on! What kind of fic would you like? It’s yours! *g* (And do be just as specific as you like – it’s what I need!)
*does the happy-veggie-potstickers dance*
Oh, I love vegetarian duck. It’s delicious. And hm. Vegetarian chicken can mean two things – literally mock meat made out of gluten and appropriately flavoured (there’s a lot of such mock meats in Chinese vegetarian cuisine, and they usually taste pretty good *g*), and there’s the dish which is really mushrooms and beancurd skins and such (I’d add bamboo shoots too, maybe) wrapped in more beancurd skin. I was referring to the latter, and I’ll need to see if I can find it in the London Chinatown. Beancurd skin is a glorious, glorious invention, one of the meat substitutes oft used in Chinese vegetarian cooking. Beancurd skin’s also what’s used to make vegetarian duck too. Particularly the skin. *g*
The lovely thing about Chinese vegetarian food is that it’s a cuisine which has been developed for centuries, owing to Buddhism having a strong presence in China even in the past. There’re even restaurants about specialising in Chinese vegetarian food (I went to one in Singapore last September). Mock meats and other such meat substitutes are pretty common too, because such food was even served to royalty to aid their karma (not to mention the common man who wasn’t exactly a vegetarian per se), and one couldn’t expect the royalty to eat nothing but vegetables!
I am willing to cook Chinese (and Japanese) vegetarian food for the house to try, actually, provided I can find the ingredients before hand. I’d bring ingredients from Singapore if my luggage space weren’t so sadly limited. *g* Often, it’s just a matter of substituting meat with other things. Stir-fries with beancurd skin, stuffed and fried tofu puffs, spring rolls, (as mentioned) pot-stickers and other such dumplings, fritters (or tempura, if you will), rice dishes, even Chinese salads… Then there’re the Chinese desserts… *g*
And now I’m craving fried vegetarian vermicelli (quite a common dish in Singapore, unhealthy but oh so good, and with plenty of fake meat) for breakfast. Only I’m supposed to be detoxing. Ack!
(I’ll give that fic a bit of think, shall I? It could be one of your prompts for the, oh, what do you call it, holiday? retreat? get-together?)
It’s a holiday-retreat-get-together… *g* A writing holiday-retreat-get-together… *vbg*
I’m so craving your potstickers right now…
Don’t mind me while I salivate quietly in the corner…
These look so yummy – and I love the photo of them all lined up ready to be cooked. Like little doughy hedgehogs. *g*
I’ll just place a mop and a bucket by the wall beside you before I sneak quietly away… *g*
And hee. Doughy hedgehogs! I don’t think I’ll ever look at them in quite the same light again. *g*
I love 锅贴, and the ones you made looks so good!!
Welcome back, by the way!
Thanks hon! And you’re too kind, really. :3
Fab Work
Great work on this challenge – I just love the photos so professional (the one liked best was the one you said was very bad the soup bowl and spoon photo clearly I have no picture sense) and even if you have made these a lot great potstickers. cheers from Audax in Australia.
Re: Fab Work
Thank you! I felt the same about your photos too, so I guess we’re even. *laughs* (And I didn’t like that picture because of the lighting, but I did like its composition, so you do have picture sense! *g*)
GORGEOUS dumplings and photos! Fantastic work and execution! They look delicious!
Thank you very kindly! And I think the same may be said of yours too. *g*
Your photos are fantastic and your dumplings look gorgeous!
Thanks!
Beautiful dumplings and photos! Congratulations on such a fabulous job!
Thank you!
Wow! This is a wonderful post. Your dumplings and photos are wonderful. Have a great day.
Thank you very much. *blushes* And do have a nice day too!
Lovely, and you make it sound like something that even I could have a go at despite my rather tragic cooking skills.
Oh, you totally should! They’re dead easy to make. And there’re commercially available wrappers too, generally at a good Asian grocer’s. They’re not at like the proper homemade dough-y ones, of course, but they seal with a dab of water and they’d do in a pinch, and it’s the filling which matters after all. *g*
Really, I think all the pictures are lovely. It’s so hard to take nice photos of food!
I love the boiled or steamed versions of these because the dough ends up looking so pretty! But I only eat ones with something like red bean filling, because I don’t like the shrimp or pork that’s usually in savory ones. XD
Thanks hon. And I think you take lovely pictures of food too! That one of the brownie cake had me drooling so badly all over my keyboard. *g*
I generally prefer boiled/steamed versions of these dumplings too, over fried ones. Something about the translucency of the dough… And hee, I know red bean dumplings taste all kinds of wonderful, so you’re excused for not liking savoury ones! XD
shit. how can u do this to me
whut.
(i’ll make you guys some again, if you want? :D;;)
Nice job on the dumplings/potstickers! Mmm, prawns sound great about now.
oops! sorry, that was me – jen (use real butter)
No worries. And thank you very much for hosting this challenge! I was in such a rush, making these on the same day I had a million and other things to do, but I greatly enjoyed it. And hurrah for prawns!
Your dumplings look very good too !
And your pictures is very professional too 😉
Good challenge
Thanks!
Aw, your little dumplings are so cute! And I don’t think your pictures are bad at all! Good job!
Shucks. You’re too kind, really. Thanks!
what?
there is nothing wrong with your photos! I think they are great.
I too did not realize there was a guide to folding the potstickers 😉
http://mangotomato.blogspot.com/2009/06/daring-cooks-potstickers.html
Re: what?
Thank you, you’re too kind!
And guess we’ll have to read future posts more carefully. I’d love to have tried that pleating style. Perhaps next time the fancy strikes me…
Ummm, two things…those are bad photos??? I think not! They are lovely. Secondly, you pleated those dumplings with one hand? I am hanging my head in shame. I could barely do it with two 😉 Great job!
Madeline
http://www.madelinesadaptations.blogspot.com
You’re too kind, really, but thanks! And mind, I’ve had years of practice, and mine aren’t exactly pleated like most of the ones posted anyway; more like pinched fully shut before being crimped-pleated. I’m sure you’ll be able to do so too with making more!
Looks delicious!
Your dumplings look great! I am craving soup now…
Re: Looks delicious!
Thank you!
Your photos are great, I don’t know what you mean by ‘bad photo’!! You got fantastic colour on your dumplings. I have to thank my mother for the owl chopsticks, she found them somewhere in Tokyo. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Thank you; you’re too kind! And ah, Tokyo. The Japanese always have such nice chopsticks.
dumplings
Your dumplings are so inviting, nice texture, hue, and edging. Now if I only had a bowl of them with soup…
Re: dumplings
I’m always fond of dumplings in soup. Thanks!
eru! you are back! sneakily! and you have made jiaozi. D: *wants*
Well Done!
I really like your one handed pleating technique… I will have to try that =) Congrats on a DC challenge completed.
– Rose @ http://www.bitemekitchen.blogspot.com
Re: Well Done!
Good luck, then! It’s really all about pinching and pushing with the finger tips, and it’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it, though the first few might be a little more tricky.
And thanks!
yes, i’m back! i came back on saturday, actually. and we need to meet up for tea! and for me to hand you your tomatoes!
(your grandmother makes better jiaozi, i swear. :D;;)