Chinese-Style Mul-mandu (Boiled Dumplings)

How to make it

Amounts in the steps are for 10 servings.

1. 1

   Dough

   Knead 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of water, and 5g of salt into a dough and wrap it in plastic.

2. 2

   Rest the dough

   Rest it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

   · Resting settles the gluten so the dough rolls out thin and even.

3. 3

   Base filling

   Add 25g of soy sauce, 25g of minced ginger, and the ground black pepper to 500g of ground pork and stir in one direction only until it turns sticky.

   · Stirring in one direction knits the proteins together so the filling binds.

4. 4

   Beat in the stock

   Add 100g of stock in 3 to 4 additions, stirring in one direction after each one until the meat has taken it all in.

   · This step is why the filling of Chinese-style mul-mandu is so juicy. Use a stock made from green onion, dashima, onion, and radish.

5. 5

   Add the green onion

   Mince the white part of the green onion fine and mix it in last. Chilling the filling for 30 minutes makes it easier to shape.

   · Add the green onion last so it gives off less water.

6. 6

   Shape

   Roll the dough into a long rope, cut it into even pieces, and roll each one out with a rolling pin so the center stays thick and the edge thin. Put the filling on and press the edge firmly to seal.

   · Leave the center thick or they burst while boiling.

7. 7

   Boil

   Bring plenty of water to a rolling boil and add the mandu. When it comes back to a boil, pour in ½ cup of cold water, and repeat this 2 to 3 times.

   · Adding the cold water in stages makes the wrappers springy.

8. 8

   Lift them out

   Lift the mandu out once they float and the wrappers turn translucent. A ring of sesame oil poured into the water just before lifting them out keeps them from sticking together.

No coming back

Things that actually went wrong over 20 years in a kitchen.

• Pour it in all at once and the liquid sits on the surface and the filling turns sloppy.

You can fix this

If it hasn't burned or stuck to the pan, it can still be fixed.

• If the sauce is too salty, stretch it with stock and bring the body back with a little starch slurry.