Serves 6
Dough
¾ cup bread flour
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1½ tsp grapeseed oil
7 to 8 Tbsp hot water
Soup
2 ½ cups chicken stock
3 scallions, sliced
2 ½ Tbsp ginger, sliced
½ cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced, with stems
1 Tbsp powdered unflavored gelatin
2 Tbsp chopped smoked ham, from a hock or jowl
Filling
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 scallions, chopped
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp sugar
2½ tsp soy sauce
1¼ Tbsp dry sherry
1¾ tsp sesame oil
½ lb ground pork
1 to 2 cups Napa cabbage leaves for steaming
Dipping sauce
Dark vinegar and ginger for dipping
Asian Soup Dumplings
Preparation – Dough
In a food processor, combine bread flour and all-purpose flour. add grapeseed oil and hot water, and mix until combined. This should yield a soft, warm dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about two minutes, until dough is smooth and slightly elastic. It should have some elasticity when lightly pressed. Place in a sealed bag, taking care to remove excess air, and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preparation – Soup
In a saucepot, combine stock, scallions, ginger and shiitake mushrooms and bring to a boil. allow to reduce by half, until you have a generous cup and a quarter. Strain and set aside to slightly cool. return stock to a saucepot and add gelatin. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until you reach a boil and the powdered gelatin dissolves. Pour stock into a small baking pan or bowl to create a thin layer of stock. refrigerate until completely cooled and gelatinized.
Preparation – Filling
In a food processor, add peeled ginger, scallions, salt, white pepper, sugar, soy sauce, sherry and sesame oil. Process until smooth. add pork and lightly pulse until slightly combined. remove and place in a bowl, and further combine with a wooden spoon. Set aside and let rest for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. add gelled stock, mixing lightly. refrigerate for 10 minutes to recongeal.
Preparation – Dumplings
Using a dough scraper, divide dough into four pieces. Take one piece of dough and roll it into a 5-inch log, cover other pieces until needed. Cut the log into five pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Working one at
a time, roll each ball into a 2 ½ to 3 inch in diameter circle. as you do this, roll the ball out slightly and then just roll the outside edges to extend to 2 ½ to 3 inches; you want to have a thicker center to help prevent soup from leaking.
Scoop about 2 teaspoons of filling into each rolled-out dumpling, leaving a ½ inch of dough on the perimeter. bring four edges of the dough up to make a bag-like shape. Continue by pleating each section in the center; if the dough seems too sticky, lightly flour it. Once it is entirely pleated, twist the top of your purse slightly to secure closure. Place formed dumplings onto a lightly floured piece of parchment on a sheet tray or baking sheet and cover. Continue until you use all of the dough.
To cook the dumplings, cover a steamer with lightly oiled cabbage leaves. Steam them over boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes, or until meat is cooked through. To serve, gently pick up dumplings and place in a bowl. Finish dumplings by dipping in dark vinegar and ginger, or a sauce of your choice.