Soft Chinese dumplings

• Do try these tasty little mouthfuls of joy!

  
  

  

  Chinese style dumplings stuffed with chicken, scallions and oyster sauce

  
  

  
  
  These are so lovely, I use some of the chicken from the carcass with spring onion or chives to make stuffing.  I crisp the bottom sometimes in oil then cover with water, other times I simply plop them into the soup base for about 15 minutes to cook gently through.  These can be served with a simple dipping sauce of Chinese rice wine vinegar as a snack or starter too.
  
  
  Ingredients:
  
  
  Dough
  
  
  150g plain flour
  130ml hot water
  
  
  Stuffing
  
  
  Raw meat, fish, prawns cut very small or minced/processed
  One egg, beaten if using raw ingredients
  Dark soy sauce to taste
  Spring onion tops, about three will suffice or cooked spinach chopped small
  1 teaspoon of Oyster Sauce
  S&P to taste
  Optional:  Use cooked meat from your chicken/pork/beef carcass if making noodle soup
  
  
  First make your dough.  Sift your flour into a large bowl and add the hot water, just off the boil is good.  I use a fork to combine the water and flour, adjust if too sticky by adding a little more flour (or water if too dry).
  
  This post is photo and video heavy so if you wish to continue click on 'read more' below left.
  
  
  
  
  This is a strange dough the first time you make it.  Here's a clip showing how sticky (and noisy) it is immediately prior to kneading.
  
  

  
  
  Tip the dough onto a clean, floured work surface and knead as if you're making bread.  When the dough is done it should be soft and springy.  Cover with a clean, wet tea towel and leave it to relax for about 15 minutes whilst you prepare your stuffing.
  
  Here's what the dough should look like and react like when kneaded and ready to be stuffed.
  
  

  
  
  
  For the stuffing just combine your chopped ingredients, go easy if using salt as the soy is salty.
  
  
  Now roll your dough into a long sausage and cut in half, then half again. Continue halving the half cuts until you have 16 balls of dough.  Roll each ball into a round and flatten with your palm then roll it out to about half the depth of a 1p coin.
  
  

  

  A mere teaspoon of filling

  

  Blurry shot

  Then place the flat dough in your palm, make your hand slightly concave and
  with a teaspoon add some of your stuffing and seal shut.  You can crimp or not, your choice.  Store the dumplings in the wet tea towel until the whole batch are done.  At this point you can drop them into your simmering chicken and sweetcorn soup or water or if you want a crispy bottom follow the option two directions below.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Option two, fried dumplings.

  
  In a frying pan heat a tablespoon of sesame oil, when hot place your dumplings in and fry until golden brown  underneath.  Now, add enough hot water from the kettle to almost cover the dumplings and let them simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  A ready cooked stuffing may not need as long.  Check the water level and top up if necessary.  Once done the water should almost have evaporated.  You can serve as a side with your soup and a dipping sauce if you fancy that.