To keep the wrappers from tearing while making these dumplings, we suggest finely chopping the scallions and grating the ginger. These classic snacks—which are boiled, not steamed or fried—were featured as part of Matt Gross’s feature story on Taiwanese cuisine, “Taipei, Family Style” (April 2010).
Watch: How to Shape Dumplings (Hint: Think about dinosaurs!)
Pork and Chive Dumplings (Shui Jiao)
These classic Taiwanese boiled dumplings are filled with a mix of pork, finely chopped scallions, and grated ginger.
Yield: makes about 30 dumplings
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
- 4 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. black vinegar
- Flour, for dusting
- 3 1⁄2 oz. garlic, chives or scallions, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
- 2 tsp. mushroom powder
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1⁄2 tsp. grated ginger
- 1⁄2 tsp. white or black pepper
- 30 (4 1/2″) round wonton wrappers
- 1 lb. ground lean pork
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tsp. sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar; set aside. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with flour; set aside. Put remaining sesame oil, along with the pork, garlic chives, mushroom powder, cornstarch, salt, ginger, and pepper, into a medium bowl and stir vigorously with a rubber spatula to combine.
- Working with one wrapper at a time, put a tablespoon of pork filling onto a wrapper, fold wrapper in half, and seal it with water, or follow instructions on facing page for forming dumplings into the traditional pleated crescent shape. Transfer each dumpling to reserved baking sheet; cover with a tea towel.
- Meanwhile, bring a 5-qt. pot of water to a boil. Working in three batches, boil dumplings until filling is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to a platter and serve with reserved dipping sauce.
See step-by-step instructions on forming Shui Jiao in the gallery, below.
