Recipe(tried): Chinese Fried Pork Shrimp Dumplings, Shui-mai Dumplings

Chinese Fried, Boiled or Steamed Pork and Shrimp Dumplings:

These are the dumplings most often served in Chinese restaurants--they are deservedly popular and somehow seem doubly pleasing when served at home.

These dumplings can also be fried, boiled or steamed. If you have any dumplings left over, you can reheat them by sauteeing them in a little oil.

Ready-made wonton skins may be used, but this dough gives a more tender wrapping.

DOUGH FOR THE WONTON SKINS:

1 cup all purpose flour, plus aditional flour for shaping wonton
6 tablespoons cold water

FILLING:

6 dried Chinese mushrooms
3/4 pound ground pork
1/4 pound raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, and finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped bamboo shoots
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (optional)

1/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil for frying
1 cup chicken stock

Soak the mushrooms for 30 minutes in warm water. Drain and squeeze dry. Remove the stems and chop the caps finely.

Mix the flour and water together. remove to a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough feels satiny. Roll into a ball, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes or longer.

Meanwhile, put the mushrooms, pork, shrimp, and remaining filling ingredients into a bowl and mix together well. Chill in freezer while you make the wrappings.

Divide the dough into 4 parts. Cover 3 of them, and roll the fourth part into a sausage about 8 inches long. Cut the dough sausage into 6 pieces, and form each of these into a small ball. Flatten each ball with the heel of your hand, and then roll it out into a circle about 3 inches in diameter and about 1/16 inch thick. Don't worry if it is not a perfect circle. Once the dumplings are stuffed, they will look pretty much alike. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Remove the filling from the freezer and place about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each circle. Bring 2 sides togther at the top and pinch together. Flatten the bottom. What you are after is a kind of small boat look, rather than a crescent shape. Tuck the other ends, pleating them in the middle, and pinch all the edges together to seal well. ( The dumplings can be frozen at this point for future use.)

Heat 1/2 of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Place half of the dumplings into the skillet, pinched sides up, and fry until the bottoms are just brown. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock, cover, and cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Remove cover and cook another minute or so until all the liquid is evaporated. Remove to a platter and keep them warm while you cook the second batch in the remaining oil and chicken stock.

Serve accompanied by small bowls filled with a Soy dipping Sauce, Duck Sauce or Mustard Vinegar Sauce.

Yield: about 24 dumplings.

DUCK SAUCE:

1 cup mango chutney
1 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup cold water

Place chutney, preserves, and water into the container of a blender (or food processor) and blend for just a few seconds to mix well and reduce to a fine consistency. Place in jar, cover, and refrigerate. Duck sauce will keep for a long time in the refrigeratore.

Serve with any Chinese dumplings.

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SHUI-MAI Chinese Steamed Pork Shrimp Dumplings:

Shui-mai are perhaps the prettiest of all the Chinese dumplings--little cups of steamed dough filled with a savory mixture of pork and shrimp. They are, however, quite easy to make and take less time to prepare than most of the other filled dumplings.

WONTON SKINS:

24-30 ready-make 3-inch round wonton skins or 1 recipe wonton skins.

WONTON SKINS:

2 cups all purpose flour plus additional flour for shaping wonton
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon salt

Mix together the ingredients for the wonton skins. Knead to form a stiff dough and remove to a floured board. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes until the dough feels smooth and satiny. Roll the dough into a ball, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.

Knead the dough for a minute or two and roll it out to a thickness of 1/16 inch and cut into 3-inch squares or 3-inch rounds. Keep skins covered so that they do not dry out.

FILLING:

1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped bamboo shoots
4 scallions, finely chopped (green tops included)
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (optional)

Prepare the wonton skins.

In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix well.

Place about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each wonton skin. Bring up the sides around the filling to make a cup. Make little pleats as necessary, and flatten the bottom so that each dumpling can stand on its own. (Shui-mai can be frozen at this point for future use.

Place the shui-mai on a lightly oiled plate, making sure they do not touch each other.

Steam* them for 20 minutes.

Serve with one of the Chinese dippings sauce.

Yield: About 24 to 30 shui-mai.

NOTES: Shui-mai look especially nice when topped with minced Chinese mushrooms, minced water chestnuts, and a couple of frozen peas. Garnish before steaming.

*TO STEAM, arrange the dumplings on a lightly oiled plate, but do not let them touch each other. If you own a Chinese bamboo steamer and a wok, then you can steam several plates at one time. Pour approximately 2 inches of boiling water into the wok, set the plates in the steamer and set the steamer in the wok. Cover the steamer and cook over moderate heat. If you do not have a chinese steamer, you can easily improvise. Pour about 2 inches of water into a large (6 quarts), wide (at least 10 inches in diameter) pot. Place a can or small inverted bowl or anything else that works into the pot and put the plate on that. The idea is to lift the plate to just above the water level. Cover the pot and cook over moderate heat.

VINEGAR SOY SAUCE 1:

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
A few drops of hot oil (more if you like spicy sauce)
1 tablespoon white vinegar (rice vinegar if possible)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and serve with any of the chinese dumplings, Vietnames shrimp fritter, oyster balls, or shrimp balls.

VINEGAR SOY SAUCE 11:

1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons white vinegar (rice vinegar if possible)
2 teaspoons sesame paste or peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon chili paste with garlic*
1 teaspoon oyster sauce*
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together, and serve with any of the dumplings listed for Vinegar Soy Sauce 1.

* Available in oriental food stores.

MUSTARD VINEGAR SAUCE:

1/4 cup powdered dry mustard
1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus 1 teaspoon water and 1/4 teaspoon sugar)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix the mustard powder with a little of the cold water and blend to make a smooth paste.

Add the rest of the water and the vinegar gradually, stirring all the while. add the salt.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This sauce will keep for several weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.

Serve with any Chinese dumplings.