Dumplings!

My favourite Chinese dumpling filling is pork, chive and prawn (shrimp) and my favourite place in Montreal to chow down on them is Maison du Nord (2130 St Mathieu, right near Guy-Concordia.) After a couple of nights away from home though, I was looking forward to a night in..... but what about my dumpling craving? I had extensive dumpling experience from my days back in Brisbane, when my Chinese and Taiwanese friends would get us together for a dumpling party. We would make hundreds of dumplings, gorge ourselves silly and then freeze the rest (perfect for a late night snack come thesis writing!) However, despite the best intentions, I have never recreated them at home. Tonight was the night! I decided to take the easy route and use pre-formed dumpling wrappers. They turned out amazingly well (though some were a little droopy, see the bottom photo!) and made for a quick and delicious dinner!

 

I made these with:

Store bought, refrigerated dumpling wrappers
Pork mince
Raw prawns
Garlic chives
Ginger
Rice Wine (a splash or two)
Sesame Oil (very little, it's strong!)
Salt and Pepper
Black vinegar and chilli oil to serve (a must in my humble opinion)

Finely chop all ingredients that need it and mix everything but the wrappers in a large bowl. (Here, some people would suggest tasting the mixture raw, or frying up a little in a pan, to check for seasonings) Then, with dry hands, place a teaspoon of mixture in the centre of a wrapped and use a finger dipped in water to moisten around the edges. Fold over and press the edges together, pleating the fold in whatever manner you see fit! Either cook them in a pot of boiling water (they are ready when they rise to the top) or set them on a tray covered in greaseproof paper and pop them in the freezer (Make sure they are not touching!) When frozen, bundle together and congratulate yourself on stocking your freezer with something other than bagels and Haagen Daaz.....

Let me know if you make your own dumplings and what your favourite fillings are - I feel a dumpling bonanza coming on....