Mission: Soup Dumplings

Soup Dumplings

Soup Dumplings. Not Dumpling Soup. Soup Dumplings. The soup is actually inside the dumpling. Little crimped packages of hot Asian pork and shrimp soup delicacy The biology of the dumpling is a thicker wrapper than a wonton rolled into a circle with a meat mixture (or veggie) ball in the middle surrounded by soup and cinched up. The result being a dumpling that you (with much bravery) bite the to off of and get a mini spa treatment of steam to your face. Blow and allow to cool and then stuff the entire dumpling in your mouth. Upon biting down you will instantly enter a mode of confusion. How can this be? Soup exploding out like that gum with the liquid in it. Hot and delicious and gingery and meaty and salty all in one bite? Then a slow understanding and acceptance of the soup dumpling begins and you try to figure out why you didn’t order more…because 8 is not nearly enough.

My sister Meg introduced me to these on one of our traditional trips to China Town. We first went to Joe’s Ginger and of course, after having these orgasmic tumors of meat and soup, we needed to do it again. Joe's was a small, dimly lit, cozy and very delightful place. Service was great and food was better. Next trip was to the electrically designed Shanghai Café. This place was unforgettable not only for the amazing food, but also that it looked like a restaurant trying to be from the future but it hired a designer that thought robotic 80’s were coming back in the future. Fluorescent lights rimmed the molding and the entire restaurant was basically silver. Both places roll out double bamboo steamers filled with 8 soup dumplings steamed to perfection. At 6 bucks a pop you can imagine a whole meal of these would be sufficient.

There had to be a way to replicate this. Aha! Of course Epicurious had a recipe for shanghai soup dumplings. With a Chinese grocer nearby I bought a bamboo steamer and got down to work. Originally I used dumpling wrappers pre-made, left out the shrimp (when I was still in a fishobic state of being) and bought chicken broth instead of starting my own base with chicken parts. This is a quicker way to do dumplings and mine came out quite tasty.

This meal presents like the NY Jets…a lot of time and energy go in to making them and at some points you don’t think it’s actually going to work out. Then as you bite in you win the super bowl and laugh in everyone’s faces….maybe next year.

The recipe is from epicurious and I have put in bold adjustments of laziness I made on the first go around for a slightly less time consuming option. I am interested in what it would taste like with crab meat mixed in and will be trying that with the left over gelatin I have. Enjoy and don’t burn your tongue!

Soup 10 cups plus 3 tablespoons (or more) water

2 3/4 to 3 pounds chicken wings, backs, and necks

(I substituted the above for 4 cups chicken broth)

2 1/2 ounces Chinese-style cured smoked ham or Smithfield ham, cut into 4 slices

3/4 cup coarsely chopped green onions (white parts only)

2 (1-inch-diameter 1/2-inch-thick) slices peeled fresh ginger

1 whole dried shiitake mushroom

1 large garlic clove, flattened

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (from 2 envelopes)

Sauce

1 cup black vinegar

6 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons very thin matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger

Filling

1 pound ground pork

1/4 pound peeled deveined uncooked shrimp, finely chopped (optional)

1/3 cup finely chopped green onions (white parts only)

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 large garlic clove, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)

1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Dumplings

75 (about) 3-inch square or round dumpling wrappers (from two 14-ounce packages)

(Or use home made recipe calling for)

1 cup h20

2 cups flour

Roll out 2tbsp. of the dough and form into thin circles using a round cutter.

1 large head of Napa cabbage, leaves separated

Make the soup: 
Combine 10 cups water and all remaining soup ingredients except gelatin in large pot. Bring to boil, spooning off any foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until chicken pieces are very soft and beginning to fall apart, adding more water by cupfuls if necessary to keep chicken submerged, about 2 hours 30 minutes.

Strain and chill:
 Strain soup; discard solids. Return broth to same pot. Boil until reduced to 2 cups, about 35 minutes. (If using broth bring to a boil and reduce to about 3 cups and skip all the steps above) with salt and pepper. Pour 3 tablespoons water into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens. Add to hot broth; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch glass dish. Cover; refrigerate aspic overnight.

Make the sauce : 
Mix 1 cup black vinegar, 6 tablespoons soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons fresh ginger strips in small bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Make the filling: 
Combine all filling ingredients in large bowl and mix with fork just until blended. Cut aspic into 1/3-inch cubes. Add aspic to pork mixture; stir gently with wooden spoon just until incorporated. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Assemble the dumplings: 
Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1 dumpling wrapper on work surface. Spoon 1 very generous teaspoon filling onto center of wrapper, including at least 2 or 3 aspic cubes.

Pleat the wrapper: 
Lightly brush edges of dumpling wrapper with water. Bring 1 corner of wrapper up around filling, then pleat remaining edges of wrapper at regular intervals all around filling until filling is enclosed and wrapper forms bundle-like shape with small opening at top.

Twist the top: Gather top edges of wrapper together and twist at top to enclose filling. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. DO AHEAD Can be refrigerated, covered, for 1 day, or frozen in single layer in covered containers for 2 weeks.

Prepare the steamer:
 Line each layer of bamboo steamer basket with cabbage leaves; place over wok filled with enough water to reach just below bottom of bamboo steamer basket. (Or line metal steamer rack with cabbage leaves and set over water in large pot.) Place dumplings atop cabbage, spacing apart.

Steam the dumplings: Bring water to boil. Cover; steam until cooked through, adding more water to wok if evaporating too quickly, about 12 minutes for fresh dumplings and 15 minutes for frozen. Serve dumplings immediately, passing sauce alongside for dipping.