Wow. My Friday nights sure have come a long way from wearing hotpants and closing down the bars to playing Cootie and making dumplings. I really would not have it any other way although I could do without the grease burn I got after my pals and I friend up 80 chinese dumplings on Friday night. Yes, Friday night.
My pals absolutely LOVE to cook with me which I adore. Everything takes a bit longer, well more than a bit, and the clean up can be out of control but it is always a great time. So on Friday, I got a recipe from my friend Nicky for her famous chinese pork dumplings, kind of like potstickers. It took the entire night to fry these babies up but I have to say it was worth it. We made 80 and they were gone in less than 24 hours. I am still not sure how this is even possible but it happened.
First we chip chopped everything.
Eden was mesmerized by the green onion for some reason. She thought it looked like a laser.
We used the premade wonton wrappers which made things pretty darn easy.
Abbott did not appreciate when we put one on his head like a hat. We thought it was awesome.
Eden did an awesome job sealing up the wontons. We used a mix of eggs and water to seal those babies up. She was very serious about this…..I loved her concentration. She is very precise.
We fried them up in batches about 12 at a time and I had 2 frying pans going. The boys were in charge of supervising this step. They did a darn good job, I must say. (They are on the back burners so they cannot reach the pans)
I got distracted for a second….or 5 minutes.
Don’ think we didn’t eat them….even burnt to a crisp, they were damn good.
So if you are feeling adventurous, go ahead and make these. You will not be disappointed. Your kids can help stuff and seal them and they are so darn good they are like eating potato chips or Thin Mint cookies. You just keep eating them and have zero control. We mixed sesame oil, green onions and soy sauce for dipping and I bought sweet and sour and hot mustard from the grocery store as well. Damn good stuff.
RECIPE:
- 8 ounces celery cabbage (Napa cabbage)
- 3 tsp salt, divided
- 1 pound lean ground pork
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, with tops
- 1 TB white wine
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Dash white pepper
- Dipping Sauce:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Other:
- 2 – 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
cut cabbage into very thin strips or throw in a food processor. put in a bowl with a teaspoon salt. Wait 5 minutes and use a paper towel to get excess water out. Mix all other ingredients into cabbage.
Use the premade wonton wrappers and add about a teaspoon to the center and fold over, sealing with a mix of beaten egg whites and water (2 eggs and 2 tablespoons water).
Heat oil (veg or olive) and fry on both sides, then add 1/3 cup water, put lid on the pan and steam for about 8 minutes. Then try not to eat every single one of them. I dare you.
Thank you Nicky for the awesome recipe!
Jenn, I love that you do this with your kids. They will always be good eaters thanks to you.
They LOVE to help me cook….they are not fans of the clean up though!