Lunar New Year: dumplings

The Lunar New Year is not something I have always celebrated. As a child, I grew up in a household more influenced by Polish and British traditions. I shunned learning about my Korean heritage. As an adult, I appreciate Asian customs and traditions more. It started when I visited a friend stationed in South Korea, and was fascinated by the culture.

This year I decided to cook a few dishes in celebration of the Lunar New Year. I browsed a few articles and websites to see what is traditionally served. I ultimately decided on shrimp for wealth, noodles for long life, bok choy for prosperity, and dumplings for good luck.

First up: Dumplings. I've tried making these a few times before, and they are labor intensive. It's also a very sticky job. I'm still figuring out the dough. The right thickness is important - too thin and they fall apart, too thick and the dumpling is chewy and tough. I used my kitchenaid pasta attachment to roll out the dough in batches. I still ended up with varying thicknesses when it came time to pinch the dumplings. The pinching technique also takes some practice. My two plates of dumplings came out rather gimpy. The flavor of the filling more than made up for their apperance. I opted for a potsticker method of cooking.

Kneading the dough

My doughy fingers pinching the dumplings

Plate of gimpy dumplings ready for the pan

Five Spice Dumplings

adapted from Chinese Style Dumplings

by Bobby Flay, as seen on "Throwdown with Bobby Flay"

Dough:

2 c flour

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 c hot water

Filling:
1 lb ground pork

1 c shredded napa cabbage

2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbs chopped fresh chives

1 Tbs chopped fresh green onions

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 Tbs chili paste

1 Tbs hoisin sauce
1 Tbs corn starch
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

Salt and pepper

Sauce:

1/2 c sweet soy sauce

1/4 c rice wine vinegar

2 tsp chili sauce

1 tsp chopped fresh mint

Stir together the flour and salt. Mix in the water. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until soft and pliable but not too sticky. Cover with a towel and let rest while you make the filling.

Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl until combined.

Flour your work surface and roll out the dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 3-inch circles with a cutter. Have a small bowl of water next to you. Place a small spoonful of filling in the middle of the dough circle. Wet the edge of the dough all around. Fold and pinch one edge to the opposite edge, making sure all is sealed.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a little oil to the pan, heat, and add dumplings. They should be tightly packed in the pan; they can be touching. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Add enough water to fill the pan about 1/2 inch. Cover the skillet, adjust heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Uncover the skillet and if there is remaining water, let it cook off. If dumpling bottoms are not brown enough, add a little more oil and let them cook a bit more.

Stir together sauce ingredients. Serve dumplings with the sauce.