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1
Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
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2
Add the leafy greens and blanch for about 1 minute, or until tender.
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3
Drain immediately, rinse with cold water, and drain well.
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4
Finely chop and then put in a kitchen towel and squeeze to remove excess moisture.
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5
You should have about 1/4 firmly packed cup.
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6
Combine the chopped greens, pork, ginger, and scallion in a bowl.
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7
Use a fork to stir and lightly mash the ingredients together.
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8
In another bowl, combine the salt, pepper, sugar, the 1 1/4 teaspoons soy sauce, the rice wine, and sesame oil, stirring well.
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9
Pour over the vegetable and meat mixture, and vigorously stir to create a compact mixture.
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10
Cover the filling with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight, returning it to room temperature before assembling the wontons.
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11
You should have about 1/2 cup.
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12
Before assembling the wontons, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with cornstarch.
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13
Fill each wonton skin with about 1 teaspoon of the filling, creating triangles, flower buds, or nurses caps (see pages 66 to 67).
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14
As you work, put the finished wontons on the prepared baking sheet.
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15
When all are made, loosely cover with plastic wrap or a dry kitchen towel to prevent drying.
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16
To cook the wontons, half-fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
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17
Add all the wontons to the boiling water, gently dropping them in one at a time.
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18
Use a wooden spoon to nudge them apart and prevent sticking.
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19
Return the water to a gentle boil and then lower the heat to medium to maintain it.
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20
After the wontons have floated to the top, let them cook for another 3 minutes, or until they are translucent.
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21
While the wontons cook, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the chile oil, canola oil, and garlic on a serving plate or shallow bowl.
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22
Taste and make any flavor adjustments.
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23
Add a touch of sesame oil for extra nutty goodness.
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24
Set near the stove.
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25
Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to scoop up the wontons, pausing above the pot to allow excess water to drip back down.
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26
Put the wontons in the dish with the sauce and toss gently to coat.
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27
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
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28
To impress your friends with your dumpling prowessand to share your skills with thembuild a dinner party around dumplings.
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29
Have a lively, hands-on gathering where guests participate in assembling and cooking the dumplings.
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30
Select a theme, such as dumplings made with basic dumpling dough (page 64) or thin skins (page 22).
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31
Prepare the filling(s) and dough in advance.
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32
Ditto for any broths involved.
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33
After your guests arrive, divide them to tackle different tasks, such as rolling out the wrappers, assembling dumplings, and making dipping sauces or chutneys.
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34
Use several cooking methods (boiling, panfrying, steaming, deep-frying, and/or baking) to efficiently use your stove and to offer a varied experience and meal.
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35
To whet your guests appetites, serve a few premade dumplings, such as empanadas (page 125) or karipap (curry puffs, page 129), as snacks.
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36
Finish with a sweet dumpling that youve prepared or one that resulted from the group activity.
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37
For a more formal affair with no guest participation, make dumplings in advance to the extent that the recipe allows.
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38
Some dumplings can be assembled and kept refrigerated.
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39
Others freeze beautifully either raw or cooked.
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40
Many can be precooked and then reheated.
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41
Check individual recipes for tips on advance preparation and reheating.
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42
Do not make all your dumplings fresh on the day of the event; this will only make you grumpy.
