Ingredients:
Asparagus, 1 kilo
Milk: ~1 cup
Flour: 2 tablespoons
Fat: 1-2 tablespoons
Chicken: ~1 breast, cooked.
1 large onion.
Snap your asparagus to get rid of the woody part. Dump into boiling water for 5 minutes, sample for doneness, then drain and set aside. The asparagus should be tender (not soft) and sweet. This cooks the asparagus and removes excess oxalate.
Dice your onion medium-fine and saute with a little PAM for ~5 minutes, enough that they soften and sweeten.
I had some chicken schmaltz handy (if you don't, you should start collecting it), but you can use butter. To a small saucepot, add the fat and a sieved 1-2 tablespoons flour. We want that rich, creamy interior from a pot pie. If you do not have schmaltz, you will want to add some chicken stock to give the sauce a rich chicken-y flavor. If you do have schmaltz, you may want to as well. Add the milk, stirring. You want a fairly thick sauce, so that it helps glue everything together. I would have made a veloute, but discovered that I had no stock.
Chop chicken into small pieces.
Combine asparagus, sauce, chicken, onion. Salt and pepper to taste, then fold with a rubber spatula.
Fill dumplings as usual. Steam. I have not found that this particularly benefits from frying, though it does not do it any harm either.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Dumplings FAQ
I realize that there are things that should be addressed so I don't need to keep repeating them, as well as various troubleshooting steps.
Q: How do I make the wrapper?
A: I buy mine pre-made at an Asian supermarket. Making the dough is a pain in the butt and takes forever. Pre-made are both easy and cheap. It's kind of like filo dough or puff pastry. Can you make them at home? Sure. Nobody does- you just buy them frozen from the supermarket.
Q: How do I seal a dumpling?
A: Have a little bowl of water next to you while making dumplings. Dip your finger in and run it along the edge of the wrapper. Don't be afraid of going back and re-dipping your finger. This allows the dough to seal properly, but if your dough was frozen and got a bit of freezer burn, the edge of the wrapper may have dried out (you'll know when the edge is hard and cracks). When that happens, I moisten a finger and gently rub it over the edge on that spot.
Q: Is there a right way to wrap the dumpling?
A: There is no one right way. Some folks just fold the wrapper over in half and seal. If that is what you like, more power to you. There are also crimpers which allow you to do that, and it will put waves along the edge. I do not personally care for those, because it tends to lead to a much higher wrapper-to-filling ratio and you get doughy dumplings as a result. But you may like that, or you may be okay with trimming off the excess dough.
Properly speaking, you pleat the dough, and there is symbolism in the number of pleats. I do not bother counting the number of pleats, but if you do, more power to you. I think the pleats make the dumplings look nice, work well to seal the dumpling, and help pull the dumpling into shape so that it can stand up instead of laying on its side, making it easier to pack more dumplings into a steamer/pan.
Q: How do I pleat?
A: Pleats are only on one side, while the other side remains flat. Wet the wrapper edge, then add your filling. Pull the wrapper up like a taco. I pleat the side further away from me. Push in with a finger closer to me and push out with the finger away from me to make an S-shape in the dough. Push the side of the taco closer to you onto the S-shape, then press the S shut along with the flat side. Do not be discouraged- there is a certain amount of juggling involved, but you should get the hang of it pretty quickly, and start knocking them out. Honestly, I am not afraid of cutting corners but I still use the pleats. It seems intimidating, but it is just not as difficult as it seems.
Q: The dumplings are sticking to the steamer, help!
A: Lay parchment paper down on the steamer bottom. Place the dumplings onto the parchment paper so that they do not touch each other or the walls of the steamer. They will adhere slightly when cooked, because of the moisture, but they will not actually stick to the paper. This is also handy when making a batch of dumplings, to lay a sheet of parchment paper onto a cookie sheet or cooling rack while waiting to batch them. My wife taught me this trick- I tried oiling the steamers and other tricks, none of them worked. The parchment paper works beautifully.
Q: How long do I steam the dumplings for?
A: I steam them for ten minutes. They are probably done in 8 or so, but it does them no harm to steam a little bit longer. Make sure if you plan to fry the dumplings to take them out of the steamer quickly, so the skin has a chance to dry a touch before adding to the hot oiled pan.
Q: What temperature do you use for frying?
A: My pan will be on a medium-high heat. If you have pleated your dumplings, you can always pick the dumplings up by hand to watch the progress of the fry so you don't burn them. A nice golden brown is what you are aiming for.
Q: What kind of oil do you use in the pan?
A: I use PAM. A quick spritz is more than sufficient for several batches of dumplings.
Q: I don't have a bamboo steamer, can I use a metal rack steamer that fits inside a pot?
A: Sure, why not?
Q: Can I boil the dumplings?
A: Yes, but you really need to be very careful to be absolutely sure that the dumpling is sealed properly.
Q: I steamed them for ten minutes, why are my dumplings still raw?
A: Unless you are using huge dumplings, ten minutes should be fine. But make sure the water is boiling *before* you place the steamer onto the pot.
Q: I have so many dumplings, what do I do with them all?
A: Freeze them! They will reheat very nicely by just popping them into a steamer for ten minutes.
Q: I tried to freeze my dumplings, but they became one giant dumpling!
A: I steam the dumplings before freezing them. This prevents the wrappers from welding to one another, especially if you use a vacuum sealer.
Q: This is a LOT of work.
A: You can do it sitting down while watching a movie or YouTube- something you can glace at and listen to occasionally. It can also be something fun to do with friends and loved ones- my wife and I enjoy making dumplings together. You might be surprised what a difference it makes having something to watch or someone to chat with while you work.
Q: I went to the grocery store and all they had were wonton wrappers. I said I wanted dumpling wrappers, but the woman who worked there yelled at me and told me they were the same thing and got angry when I politely disagreed and started screaming that she had been to culinary school and what do I do?
A: So, wonton wrappers and dumpling wrappers are both the same dough. However, dumpling wrappers are a little bit thinner on the edges to make them easier to pleat, and are round where wonton wrappers are square. I have not tried to pleat a square wrapper, you might be able to, but wontons are not usually pleated, instead being boxed.
Q: The dumpling wrappers claim they are vegan, I don't want vegan, I want the real thing!
A: A wrapper claiming to be vegan is like a steak claiming to be gluten-free. It's just how you make it. Wonton wrappers are flour, water, and a touch of salt. That's it. It's vegan because of the ingredients used, not because they did anything weird to it. It does not generally contain egg, milk, or butter.
Q: How do I make the wrapper?
A: I buy mine pre-made at an Asian supermarket. Making the dough is a pain in the butt and takes forever. Pre-made are both easy and cheap. It's kind of like filo dough or puff pastry. Can you make them at home? Sure. Nobody does- you just buy them frozen from the supermarket.
Q: How do I seal a dumpling?
A: Have a little bowl of water next to you while making dumplings. Dip your finger in and run it along the edge of the wrapper. Don't be afraid of going back and re-dipping your finger. This allows the dough to seal properly, but if your dough was frozen and got a bit of freezer burn, the edge of the wrapper may have dried out (you'll know when the edge is hard and cracks). When that happens, I moisten a finger and gently rub it over the edge on that spot.
Q: Is there a right way to wrap the dumpling?
A: There is no one right way. Some folks just fold the wrapper over in half and seal. If that is what you like, more power to you. There are also crimpers which allow you to do that, and it will put waves along the edge. I do not personally care for those, because it tends to lead to a much higher wrapper-to-filling ratio and you get doughy dumplings as a result. But you may like that, or you may be okay with trimming off the excess dough.
Properly speaking, you pleat the dough, and there is symbolism in the number of pleats. I do not bother counting the number of pleats, but if you do, more power to you. I think the pleats make the dumplings look nice, work well to seal the dumpling, and help pull the dumpling into shape so that it can stand up instead of laying on its side, making it easier to pack more dumplings into a steamer/pan.
Q: How do I pleat?
A: Pleats are only on one side, while the other side remains flat. Wet the wrapper edge, then add your filling. Pull the wrapper up like a taco. I pleat the side further away from me. Push in with a finger closer to me and push out with the finger away from me to make an S-shape in the dough. Push the side of the taco closer to you onto the S-shape, then press the S shut along with the flat side. Do not be discouraged- there is a certain amount of juggling involved, but you should get the hang of it pretty quickly, and start knocking them out. Honestly, I am not afraid of cutting corners but I still use the pleats. It seems intimidating, but it is just not as difficult as it seems.
Q: The dumplings are sticking to the steamer, help!
A: Lay parchment paper down on the steamer bottom. Place the dumplings onto the parchment paper so that they do not touch each other or the walls of the steamer. They will adhere slightly when cooked, because of the moisture, but they will not actually stick to the paper. This is also handy when making a batch of dumplings, to lay a sheet of parchment paper onto a cookie sheet or cooling rack while waiting to batch them. My wife taught me this trick- I tried oiling the steamers and other tricks, none of them worked. The parchment paper works beautifully.
Q: How long do I steam the dumplings for?
A: I steam them for ten minutes. They are probably done in 8 or so, but it does them no harm to steam a little bit longer. Make sure if you plan to fry the dumplings to take them out of the steamer quickly, so the skin has a chance to dry a touch before adding to the hot oiled pan.
Q: What temperature do you use for frying?
A: My pan will be on a medium-high heat. If you have pleated your dumplings, you can always pick the dumplings up by hand to watch the progress of the fry so you don't burn them. A nice golden brown is what you are aiming for.
Q: What kind of oil do you use in the pan?
A: I use PAM. A quick spritz is more than sufficient for several batches of dumplings.
Q: I don't have a bamboo steamer, can I use a metal rack steamer that fits inside a pot?
A: Sure, why not?
Q: Can I boil the dumplings?
A: Yes, but you really need to be very careful to be absolutely sure that the dumpling is sealed properly.
Q: I steamed them for ten minutes, why are my dumplings still raw?
A: Unless you are using huge dumplings, ten minutes should be fine. But make sure the water is boiling *before* you place the steamer onto the pot.
Q: I have so many dumplings, what do I do with them all?
A: Freeze them! They will reheat very nicely by just popping them into a steamer for ten minutes.
Q: I tried to freeze my dumplings, but they became one giant dumpling!
A: I steam the dumplings before freezing them. This prevents the wrappers from welding to one another, especially if you use a vacuum sealer.
Q: This is a LOT of work.
A: You can do it sitting down while watching a movie or YouTube- something you can glace at and listen to occasionally. It can also be something fun to do with friends and loved ones- my wife and I enjoy making dumplings together. You might be surprised what a difference it makes having something to watch or someone to chat with while you work.
Q: I went to the grocery store and all they had were wonton wrappers. I said I wanted dumpling wrappers, but the woman who worked there yelled at me and told me they were the same thing and got angry when I politely disagreed and started screaming that she had been to culinary school and what do I do?
A: So, wonton wrappers and dumpling wrappers are both the same dough. However, dumpling wrappers are a little bit thinner on the edges to make them easier to pleat, and are round where wonton wrappers are square. I have not tried to pleat a square wrapper, you might be able to, but wontons are not usually pleated, instead being boxed.
Q: The dumpling wrappers claim they are vegan, I don't want vegan, I want the real thing!
A: A wrapper claiming to be vegan is like a steak claiming to be gluten-free. It's just how you make it. Wonton wrappers are flour, water, and a touch of salt. That's it. It's vegan because of the ingredients used, not because they did anything weird to it. It does not generally contain egg, milk, or butter.
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