Three-Delicacy Dumplings
(Pork, Chives & Shrimp)
1. Shrimp Preparation
Ingredients
Steps
Peel and devein the shrimp. Cut into small pieces (one piece per dumpling). Season with a small amount of salt, white pepper, and chicken bouillon powder. Mix gently for about 3 minutes and set aside to marinate. 2. Pork Filling
Ingredients
80 g water (added in 3 batches) About 1 ladle of cooking oil Steps
Finely chop the Japanese leek and ginger. Place in a bowl. Heat the oil until just beginning to smoke, then immediately pour it over the leek and ginger to create aromatic leek–ginger oil. In a separate bowl, combine the ground pork with soy sauce, salt, MSG, sugar, and cornstarch. Stir in one direction for about 1 minute. Add the 80 g water in 3 batches. After each addition, stir vigorously in the same direction until fully absorbed. Continue until the mixture becomes slightly lighter in color, sticky, and forms rough strands when lifted. Add the leek–ginger oil in 2 batches. Continue mixing in the same direction for about 1 more minute until the filling becomes cohesive and elastic. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Dumpling Wrappers
Ingredients
Steps
Combine all ingredients and knead into a smooth dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes. Rest for another 20 minutes. 4. Chives
Ingredients
Steps
Toss with a small amount of oil — just enough to lightly coat the chives. 5. Combine Filling
Mix the chilled pork filling with the chives. Do not mix too far in advance to prevent excess moisture release. 6. Assemble Dumplings
Divide the dough and roll into wrappers. An appropriate amount of pork–chive filling One piece of marinated shrimp
7. Freezing Dumplings
If making more than one meal’s portion, freeze the dumplings as you go.
Steps
As you finish filling one tray, place the dumplings in a single layer on a freezer tray, making sure they do not touch. Put the tray into the freezer. By the time you finish the next batch, the first tray of dumplings should be partially frozen and firm. Transfer the frozen dumplings into plastic bags and store in the freezer. Tip: Always freeze dumplings before bagging to prevent them from sticking together.
8. Cooking Dumplings
Steps
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the dumplings and stir gently to prevent sticking. When the water returns to a boil, add a small splash of cold water. Repeat this process 2–3 times. Once the dumplings float and the wrappers turn slightly opaque and off-white, they are ready to remove.