Moving away from home, living in areas with less than 2% Asian representation, and starting my own family have all inspired me to carry on certain cultural traditions (or at least try to). One of these traditions involves making dumplings to celebrate Chinese New Year. Dumplings are believed to signify wealth and prosperity in that each morsel is made to resemble a pouch of money. My sister has written about my father’s infamous dumplings, which he learned to make from his grandmother. See how every “money bag” is perfectly shaped and practically identical?
The dumplings that I make, while fairly decent tasting, are not nearly as good-looking or delicious as my father’s. There is just something about his technique and his filling that is difficult to replicate. In any case, I have observed his method over the years, asked for tutorials, and have come up with a process that allows us carry on the tradition as best we can.
The dough is “simply” flour and cold water. The quotation marks are used because I have made many a batch where the dumpling wrappers turn out tough and/or gummy. Each time I make them, I pray that they’ll be at least edible. Fortunately, the kitchen gods have been good to us for the last several years.
The filling that I make changes each time based on what I have in the pantry. I’ve found that the vegetarian ham that can be purchased in most Asian grocery stores (even the ones found in NC) does really well and, when whirled in the food processor, even slightly mimics the raw meat (whether it be fish, pork, or beef) texture of my father’s filling. Sort of. I’ve also put in Chinese chives, shitake and/or wood ear mushrooms, shredded scrambled eggs, edamame, lily flowers…the possible variations are endless. I typically bind the ingredients together with some soy sauce and sesame oil.
Hmm, as I’m finally getting around to writing this entry months after Chinese New Year, I’m feeling like I shouldn’t necessarily wait another year to make another batch!
2 comments:
We should work on your wrapping technique. it's actually pretty easy. I read an article about making the filling and a chef said you have to stir the filling rapidly with chopsticks to create almost an emulsion. I thought that was interesting. Seems like it would lend an almost whipped-light texture. Awesome job!!
Hmm, sounds like an interesting technique. Given the texture of this veg ham, I'm not sure there's much to "emulse" though! Next time I think I WILL try to make it a little less dry.
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