4 green onions, sliced

1 Tbsp. ginger, minced

1 1/2 lb. pork, coarsely ground

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. salt

1/4 cup water

1 egg, raw

1/2 head Napa cabbage

1 lb. spinach

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

dumpling wrappers

Combine the green onions and ginger in a large bowl.  Add pork and stir (you need chopsticks for stirring).  Add soy sauce and stir.  Add salt and stir.  Add water a little at a time, stirring between additions.  Add the egg and stir.  Meat should fall clean off the chopsticks.  Process the cabbage in a food processor, squeeze out the water and add to the bowl.  Boil the spinach, chop, squeeze out the water and add to the bowl.  You want equal portions of meat and vegetable.  Add the sesame oil and stir.  Wrap in wrapper: (1) taco, (2) seal top part, (3) finger the fold to make two folds, (4) press one of the folds shut, (5) press the center of the other fold and press the two resulting folds shut, (6) repeat the fold-shut-fold-shut sequence for the other side.  See "Dumpling Techniques" in Miscellaneous for detailed wrapping and cooking instructions.

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Dumpling Techniques

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The Wrappers.  You can buy these fresh or frozen at an oriental market.  Head north on Central and exit at "Beltline/Main" in Richardson (3rd exit after LBJ).  Take a right off the service road on the street just before the light.  Look for the Taiwan Market on your right.  We like the very thin (1/48 inch thick) "Hong Kong" style (these have egg in them and are more yellow than white) wrappers found in the freezer.  These are perfect for Sui Mei.  You might want a thicker wrapper for pan-frying (1/32 inch thick).  Wrappers dry our quickly so always keep uncooked wrappers and dumplings under a towel.  For egg rolls, we prefer the white, spongy wrappers found in the freezer rather than the yellowish, dough wrappers.

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Filling Technique (Sui Mei).  Never use more than 1 Tbsp. of filling per wrapper.  You want the finished Sui Mei to be (1) shaped like an overflowing pouch with (2) a definite "waist" about 2/3 up the side and about 1 inch in diameter with (3) the filling bulging about 1/4 inch above the wrapper (picture a witch's caldron filled and piled high with gold coins; with the top edge pinched so that it flares like a tulip).  Place the filling in the center of the wrapper then spread it evenly to (but not over) the edge.  Place the 

wrapper in the palm of one hand.  Cup your palm and use the fingers of your other hand to shape the pouch and form the "waist."  Sui Mei are not sealed.  Arrange the completed Sui Mei on wax paper and remember to keep them covered with a towel so they don't dry out.  Sui Mei are always steamed.

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Filling Technique ("pleated taco").  Never use more than 1 Tbsp. of filling per wrapper.  Wet the end of your finger and run it around the outer edge of the wrapper (wetting the wrapper will make it seal.  Place 1 Tbsp. of the filling off-center in the wrapper and nudge it with you finger to make a semi-circle of filling.  Fold over the wrapper to make a "taco."  Pinch the edges shut at the midpoint.    Place your finger on one of the open folds of the taco and lift to form two folds.  Pinch one shut.  Press your finger into the center of the remaining fold and pinch the two resulting folds shut.  Repeat the procedure for the other side of the taco.  Arrange the completed dumplings on wax paper and remember to keep them covered with a towel so they don't dry out.

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Steaming.  Find a skillet large enough so that a bamboo steamer can sit inside.  Fill the skillet with water 1 to 2 inches deep and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.  Grease the bamboo rack with vegetable oil so the dumplings will not stick.  Transfer the dumplings to the steamer and cover.  Transfer the steamer to the skillet.  Steam until the dumplings are done (about 8 minutes).  This is our favorite way to cook dumplings!

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Boiling.  Fill a large pot 2/3 full of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.  Quickly drop the dumplings one-by-one into the pot, then gently stir to separate the dumplings so they don't stick together.  Cover the pot and cook only until the water just returns to a boil.  Remove the cover, add 1 cup of cold water, and re-cover.  When the water returns to a boil, remove the cover, pour in another cup of cold water, and replace the cover.  Repeat this process once more for a total of 3 cups of cold water.  When the water returns to a boil after the third cup of cold water, turn off the heat and uncover the pot.  Fish out the dumplings and serve immediately.

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Pan-Frying.  Heat a large skillet over high heat until it is hot enough to evaporate a bead of water on contact.  Add enough corn oil to coat the bottom of the skillet 1/8 inch deep.  Swirl the skillet to coat the sides of the skillet with oil.  When the oil is hot enough to foam a pinch of dry flour, 

arrange the dumplings one-by-one in the skillet with their smooth sides down.  Make concentric rings starting from the outside of the skillet and working into the center, putting the dumplings directly next to and hugging one another (the crowding will cause the dumplings to stick together in a pretty spiral when they are turned out onto a platter).  Adjust the heat so that they sizzle mildly.  Check the under-side of dumplings frequently by lifting them with a spatula.  When the bottoms are evenly browned, add enough chicken stock (use water if no stock is handy) to the skillet to come half way up the sides of the dumplings.  Cover the skillet and cook for 7 minutes.  Lift the lid and peek inside the skillet.  When the stock is almost gone, remove the lid.  Frequently check the under-side of the dumplings (just as before) for crispness.  When the bottoms are crisp, remove the skillet form the heat, loosen the bottoms of the dumplings with a spatula, and invert them onto a serving platter.  If you do it perfectly, the dumplings will cling in a spiral! 

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Freezing.  "Pleated taco" dumplings can be frozen.  When you want to eat them, you don't even have to thaw them.  They go straight from the freezer into the boiling water.  Just follow the instructions (above) for boiling dumplings.  Because they are frozen, it will take a little longer for the water to return to a boil the first time.  Don't try to pan-fry them!

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Our comments:  Making dumplings requires some practice.  It may be a little cumbersome at first, but as the coordination develops you start cranking them out.  Well worth the effort!