Poached pork and garlic chive dumplings (Jiu cai jiaozi)

Ingredients
Story

You'll need

250 gm
fatty minced pork
1
egg
1 tbsp
very finely shredded ginger
½ cup
coarsely chopped garlic chives
2 tbsp
Shaoxing wine
40
gow gee wrappers
Dipping sauce
80 ml (1/3 cup)
Chinkiang vinegar (see note)
60 ml (¼ cup)
light soy sauce
60 ml (¼ cup)
chilli oil, or to taste
2 tbsp
finely shredded ginger
1 tsp
very finely chopped garlic

Method

01
For dipping sauce, combine ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

02
Combine pork, egg, ginger, garlic chives and rice wine in a bowl and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place 1 heaped tsp of pork mixture in the centre of a gow gee wrapper, dab a little water around edges, then fold over to make a semicircle, pressing firmly so no air is trapped in the dumpling. Seal edges and pleat with a series of pinches and place dumpling on a tray dusted with flour. Repeat with remaining pork mixture and wrappers.

03
Cook dumplings in batches in boiling water, stirring gently to prevent sticking. As the water returns to the boil, add 1 cup of cold water. Once the water has come back to the boil again, dumplings are ready. Remove, drain well and serve with dipping sauce.

Note Chinkiang vinegar, a black rice vinegar, is available from Asian grocers.

Recipe:
Tony Tan
Photography:
Chris Chen
Styling:
Emma Knowles

These boiled or poached dumplings are traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year’s Day in northern China, but because they are so delicious they are now daily treats. They are very easy to make at home, especially as gow gee wrappers are readily available from Asian grocers. I like these with pork but there are countless variations, including cabbage, beef, lamb and even peanuts. They are traditionally devoured piping hot in the freezing Chinese winters.