You can’t beat those crispy bottoms with a soft steamed shell! I’ve filled these dumplings with duck and served with a hoisin dipping sauce.
Notes
Making your own dumplings is time consuming but very rewarding! These have a rich duck filling and are served with a sweet hoisin dipping sauce.
These are also very good deep fried if you like a crispy dumpling!
I got my crispy duck in Asda.
Make sure you keep your dumpling wrappers covered in clingfilm as you go. The dough can dry out very easily.
I like to use a cutter to get round wrappers, but you can freestyle if you’re a pro with a rolling pin.
Makes 24 dumplings.
Ingredients:
Filling:
Half crispy duck 550g (I used the brand Gressingham)
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, grated
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp hoisin
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine
1 tsp oyster sauce
Wrappers:
275g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
125ml – 150ml boiling water
Dipping Sauce:
3 tbsp hoisin
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 spring onion, finely sliced
Directions:
FOR THE FILLING
Cook the crispy duck according to the packet instructions. Leave to cool and shred using two forks.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the shredded duck with the rest of the ingredients for the filling. Set aside in the fridge while you make the wrappers.
FOR THE WRAPPERS
In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
Gradually pour in the boiling water and use chopsticks to stir (this is hot obviously!). You can use the end of a wooden spoon if you don’t have chopsticks to hand.
As the dough comes together use your hands to knead. If it needs the additional 25ml of water add that to the dough.
Transfer the dough to a surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and springy.
Cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE
Combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
FOR THE WRAPPERS
Use a knife of a bench scraper to cut the dough in half. Roll each half of dough into two logs.
Cut each log into 12 portions. You should have 24 pieces of dough.
Cover the 24 pieces with clingfilm. I know I keep banging on about clingfilm but it’s a real pain if this dries out. Keep it covered people!
Dust your work surface generously with cornflour. Take a portion of dough and gently roll. You’re aiming for the dough to be thinner on the edges of the circle. Use an 3-inch round cutter to get perfect circles. Or you can just roll into a circle by hand. The dough should be only a couple millimetres or so thick.
Transfer finished wrappers to a plate dusted with cornflour. Cover with clingfilm as you work through the other pieces of dough. Make sure each wrapper is dusted with cornflour as you stack them, so they don’t stick together.
FOR THE DUMPLINGS
Take about a teaspoon of filling into the centre of a wrapper. Have a small bowl of water to hand. Wet your finger and run your finger around the edge of the wrapper. Fold the dumpling in half to seal in the filling. Use your fingers to pinch the dough together to seal and form little pleats.
Repeat this with all 24 wrappers.
Add a teaspoon or so of oil to a non-stick frying pan. Heat over a medium heat and lay the dumplings into the pan, making sure to not overcrowd. Do this in multiple pans or batches if needed!
Fry until the bottom of the dumplings are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Pour 125ml of boiling water into the frying pan and place a lid on top to trap the steam. Leave to steam for 6 minutes.
Remove the lid and fry for another couple of minutes to evaporate the rest of the water and re-crisp up those bottoms!
TO SERVE
Scatter the dumplings with sesame seeds and thinly sliced onions. Dip generously in the dipping sauce and enjoy.