Asian Dumpling Tips

Oyster Spring Rolls Recipe

This is such an interesting spring roll filling -- plump oysters, ground pork, bean sprouts, and lots of scallion. I've been wanting to make it for months but didn't have time  until the long Memorial Day weekend. No shucking needed as jarred oysters worked just fine! The filling is encased in Shanghai spring roll skins, which allows the rolls to fry up into a delightful crisp.  You can dip  it in Thai Sweet Chile Sauce or Comeback Sauce (pictured above, a mixture of mayo, ketchup, and black pepper).

For the full low down and recipe, head to Viet World Kitchen for the Oyster Spring Roll recipe post.

Giant Fried Jiaozi Dumplings Recipe

Chinese cooks excel at making interesting and tasty vegan dumplings. Here is a recipe that I made today from Beyond the Great Wall by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. Filled with cellophane noodles, napa cabbage, shiitake and wood ear mushroom and pressed tofu, the Hunanese dumplings are deep fried to a crisp. (I tried shallow-frying them too!) They are enormous for dumplings as each one is about 7 to 8 inches long. You can make them smaller, if you like.

For details on these supersized Chinese dumplings, see the post on Viet World Kitchen.

Egg Custard Buns Recipe (Lai Wong Bao)

Don't be put off by the name of this sweet bao. Egg custard buns are not a body sculpting issue that you need to work off, well...unless you eat too many of them! I made a batch today to help a young woman satisfy her boyfriend's love for these steam filled buns. Who would think that leavened steam bao could help lovers?

As with the chicken and shiitake mushroom bun filling, this one was developed to be used with the basic yeast dough in Asian Dumplings. Add it to your repertoire for an unusually fun sweet dumpling treat!

The recipe for the egg custard bun filling is on Viet World Kitchen.

 

Sriracha Crab Rangoon Wonton Recipe

Here's an updated rendition of the tiki-lounge classic. The recipe is based on one from Randy Clemens's new book, The Sriracha Cookbook: 50 “Rooster Sauce” Recipes that Pack a Punch.

Clemens developed some nifty recipes for heat seekers but this one caught my eye. It's got some more complex flavors than the classic version that I worked up from the original Trader Vic's recipe. But I think you'll enjoy the Sriracha iteration too. Goodness knows, my friends and I ate them all up! The Sriracha crab rangoon wonton recipe is posted at Viet World Kitchen.

If you are interested in more wonton recipes, see Asian Dumplings for some classic approaches. Past posts on this site include: 

• Almost Meatless Pork and Vegetable Pot Stickers Recipe
• Modern Indian Chile Pea Puffs Recipe
• Classic Crab Rangoon Wonton Recipe
• History of crab Rangoon

Does Sriracha chile sauce captivate you? See these related posts on Viet World Kitchen:

• Homemade Sriracha Chile Sauce Recipe
• Sriracha Taste Off: Thailand vs. America vs. Vietnam
• Has Sriracha become like Kleenex and Xerox?

Sichuan Crescent Dumpling Recipe (Zhong Jiaozi)

I sampled a number of dumplings during my three-week trip to Asia last month. One of them was a Sichuan specialty called Zhong jiaozi, which literally means Zhong's poached dumpling. The name doesn't say much for the dumpling, which is extraordinarily easy to prepare but the flavors are synergistic and wonderful.

Once back in the States, I looked through my bookshelves and tinkered in my kitchen until I could come up with a terrific version. These are a cinch. Use the basic dumpling dough made in the processor, roll out the wrappers, fill them and form half-moons (which look like crescents). Then poach them and you're done. A very satisfying Asian dumpling for the fall.

Visit Viet World Kitchen for the Sichuan crescent dumpling recipe.

Cheater Bao from Instant Biscuit Dough

Though I've written lots on bao at this site (see the recipe index and index to videos and hints) and in the Asian Dumplings cookbook, there is still more to learn. The other day for an experiment, I baked Chinese-style bao from refrigerated biscuit dough.  It's supposedly an old-school Chinese-American secret. They may look good but we're quite right. Nevertheless, I was reminded of a few things about making good Chinese bao.

For the full low-down, read "Instant Bao Experiment" on Vietworldkitchen.com.

Steamed Chicken and Shiitake Mushroom Bun Recipe

I love the richness of chicken thigh and the savory depth of shiitake mushroom. Why not combine the umami goodness of both ingredients into a dumpling filling and stuff it in a Chinese steamed bun? I’ve had several renditions of such a steamed chicken bun, and the one that Slanted Door in San Francisco presents is among the best. You can get some from their Out the Door takeout operation at the Ferry Building.

Charles Phan and his crew have crafted a tasty filling that combines Vietnamese and Chinese traditions. There are shallots, fish sauce and oyster sauce. After all, Charles is ethnically Chinese Vietnamese.  It is appropriate for his food to reflect that heritage.

Below is my rendition of Slanted Door’s steamed chicken bun filling. It’s really great if you hand-chop the chicken into pieces the size of large peas. For details, see “Hand Chopping and Mincing Meat” in Asian Dumplings, page 158. It’s not as difficult as you may think! You're only talking a generous 1/3 pound of meat.

Classic Dumpling Recipes from Vancouver Sun

My friend Nathan Fong, a food writer, TV-show host, and food stylist is arguably the "King of Vancouver." Whenever I visit Van (that's what the locals call it), I make sure to meet up with Nathan. He knows where all the good food is.

Vancouver has a huge Chinese community, many of whom came from Hong Kong post 1997. Their palates are discerning and they are moneyed people.

For that reason,some of the best Asian dumplings in North America can be found in Vancouver. Nathan and I ate many dumplings out, but we're both home cooks at heart. Today, his story on Asian dumplings in Vancouver and recipes were printed in the Vancouver Sun.

I was honored by Nathan's praise and reference to cookbook as being 'brilliant'. Nathan is the kind of man who wouldn't say something unless he meant it. In Nathan's Vancouver Sun piece, "The Fine Art of Dumplings,"  you'll find his personal recipes and one from my book:

• Siu mai (pork and shrimp) dumplings
• Won tons
• Chinese pot stickers or gyoza
• Har gow
• Nepalese fresh cheese dumplings (Takari momo, from Asian Dumplings). 

Enjoy!