- 60-80 circular flour-and-water dumpling wrappers (about four 7-ounce packages) (see below for instructions for making your own dumpling wrappers)
- A 4-inch piece of fresh ginger, unpeeled
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 6-8 turns of a black pepper mill
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3 tablespoons sweet, aromatic soy sauce or 3 tablespoons light soy sauce and 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and mixed with 1-2 teaspoons cold water
- 1 pound all purpose flour (about 2 ½ cups)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- about 2/3 pint cold water
- To make your own dumpling wrappers (this recipe makes enough dough to wrap the stuffing in the recipe below):
- Put the flour and salt onto a pastry board, make a well in the center, and add enough cold water to make a stiff but pliable dough. Mix well, and knead for several minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic – the more thoroughly you knead, the better the dough. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and leave to rest for about 20 minutes.
- Rolling out the dough: to make the traditional, tiny Sichuanese dumplings, roll the dough into long sausages about as thick as your thumb, and break off small pieces the size of cherries. Flatten these with the palm of your hand on a lightly floured surface, and roll with a rolling pin to form discs about 2 inches in diameter. Pile them up as you work, adding small sprinklings of flour as necessary to prevent them from sticking together. If you wish to save time and make the larger, northern-style dumplings, break off slightly larger pieces of dough and roll them into discs 2 ½ -3 inches in diameter. Remember that the tiny Sichuanese dumplings will take less time to cook through than the northern ones (you will probably need to add only one coffee-cupful of cold water before they are done).
- For the filling:
- Smash the ginger with the flat side of a cleaver blade or a heavy object and leave to soak for a few minutes in about 1 cup of cold water.
- Mix the egg, wine, and salt and pepper into the pork, and then gradually add the ginger-water (discarding the crushed pieces), so it is absorbed by the meat to form a fragrant, floppy paste. Mix the dipping ingredients in a little bowl – always add the garlic at the last minute to make the most of its strong, fresh fragrance.
- Place a dumpling skin flat on your hand and add a generous teaspoon of filling. Fold one side of the skin over the meat, make one or two tucks in it, and then press it tightly to meet the other side and make a little half-moon-shaped dumpling. You can seal the dumpling with a series of little pinches if you wish. Make sure you pinch the skins together tightly so the filling can’t ooze out. Lay the dumplings, separately, on a lightly floured tray, plate, or work surface.
- Heat a generous pot of water to a vigorous boil over a high flame. Stir the water briskly, and place in a couple of handfuls of dumplings. Stir once to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When the water has returned to a boil, throw in a coffee-cupful of cold water. Allow the water to return to a boil again, and add another coffee-cupful of cold water. When the water has returned to a boil for the third time, the dumpling skins will be glossy and puckered and the meat should have cooked through – cut one dumpling in half to make sure. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon, drain well, and serve steaming hot with the spicy, aromatic dip. (Take note: the cold water is added to prevent the water from boiling too vigorously and tearing the dumplings apart.) Continue cooking the dumplings in batches until your guests are incapable of eating any more.