Chinese Pork Dumplings using Spicy Maldon Chilli Sea Salt

Ingredients

For the Dumplings:

400g pork mince

2 eggs

6 tbsp chicken stock

4 tsp sesame oil

⅓ cup of chopped Chinese garlic chives

⅓ cup of diced Shiitake mushrooms

1 small bird-eye red chilli

Good pinch of Maldon Chilli Sea Salt

40 dumpling wrappers

 

For Steaming:

2 cups of water

For Pan Frying – Cornstarch Slurry:

3 tsp cornstarch

1 cup of water

Spicy Dumpling Sauce:

4 tbsp chilli oil

4 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 small garlic clove, finely diced

1 tbsp of sesame seeds

⅓ neutral oil (boil this to pour over the above ingredients)

 

How to make Chinese dumplings

  1. Mix all sauce ingredients (except oil) in a bowl. Heat neutral oil to its smoking point – watch closely, it smokes quickly! – then drizzle sizzling oil over the sauce for a fiery kick.
  2. For the dumpling filling, place the pork, egg, chicken stock, cornflour, Maldon Chilli Sea Salt, sesame oil, shiitake mushrooms, birds-eye chilli and Chinese garlic chives in a large bowl. Mix vigorously for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Place a small teaspoon of filling into the centre of a dumpling wrapper, dab the edges with water and fold the wrapper over the filling. Pinch in the sides and squeeze to create pleats for a classic dumpling look.
  4. Then it’s up to you if you’d like to steam some or pan fry some but we’re doing both!
  5. Place your dumplings in a steamer. On high heat, add 2 cups of boiling water to a wok. Place your dumplings in the steamer, ensure they’re not overcrowded and steam for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat until they look glossy and cooked through.
  6. For that irresistible crispy bottom, heat a teaspoon of neutral oil in a non-stick pan, place your dumplings in the sizzling oil. Ensure not to overcrowd the pan. Once the bottoms are browned (takes 3-4 minutes), add the cornstarch slurry, cover with a lid (10-15 minutes) and cook until they’re cooked through.
  7. Once done, serve up your gorgeous spicy dumplings. Add a final pinch of Maldon Chilli Sea Salt and pair them with your spicy sizzling dumpling sauce!
  8. Happy Lunar New Year!