It’s so easy to make your own dumplings at home, especially if you use the tiniest of royal cheats, and buy some pre made dumpling wrappers from your local supermarket refrigerated section or any Asian grocer. With your Combi-Steam you can cook the dumplings to perfection using your Steam setting and the broth can be done either on your cooktop or using the Steam setting depending on your preference.

The broth is optional. These little parcels of deliciousness are just as good garnished with some sesame seeds or spring onions and dunked in some sauce (I like to combine 2 parts soy sauce with 1 part black vinegar and a dash of chilli sauce or chilli oil) so they’re ready to slurp down on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Even a queen likes a good slurp every now and then. In many parts of the world it’s customary so let’s embrace that! Stuffy English manners aren’t everyone’s cup of tea!

If you want to take the broth concept further you could add some “fresh” (which means not the dried kind but the soft ones that come in the plastic bags at the supermarket) thin egg noodles into the bottom of the bowls with some sliced green veggies like bok choy and broccolini and then ladle in the hot broth and pop the steamed dumplings on top. This will make a more substantial meal.

Once you make a batch you can have a look at other steamed Asian dumpling recipes for variations on the fillings. Like I always say - a recipe is really a starting point - let it inspire you and take it wherever it fits best for you personally.

Let’s get this going….

Makes approx 24 dumplings and 1.5 L of broth (enough to serve 4 generously but double up if needed)

Ingredients:
Dumplings -
150g pork mince
150g raw prawn meat (finely chopped)
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 egg (beaten)
1 tbs Shaoxing wine*
1 spring onion - root removed - white and green party finely chopped
1 packet round dumpling wrappers
Broth -
1.5L liquid chicken stock
2 whole spring onions
1 tbs finely grated ginger
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tbs light soy sauce
¼ cup Shaoxing wine*
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs black vinegar*
1 tsp caster sugar
pinch white pepper
2 tsp chilli paste (optional or to taste)
2 spring onions - root removed - white and green party finely chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds

Method:

1. To make the broth place the stock, whole spring onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, wine, oil, vinegar and pepper into a large pot and bring to the boil on your cooktop. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chilli paste if using or to taste. Keep warm.

2. To make the dumplings combine the pork mince, prawn meat, ginger, egg, wine and spring onion in a bowl. Season with salt and white pepper. Mix until well combined.

3. Place approx 1 heaped tsp of the mixture into the middle of one of the dumpling wrappers. Use a little water to just moisten one edge and then fold over the wrapper to enclose the filling and seal. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.

4. Place the prepared dumplings onto a tray (or tray/s) lined with baking paper*. Place the tray/s into the Combi-Steam. Select Steam. Set the temperature to 100°C (or 100%). Cook for 15 minutes.

5. Place the dumplings into serving bowls. Remove the whole spring onions, then ladle over the broth. Garnish with remaining chopped spring onions and sesame seeds and serve.

Notes:
*Shaoxing wine and black vinegar can be found in Asian Supermarkets and will live forever in your staples pantry so they are well worth the investment. You could substitute balsamic vinegar for black vinegar if you like and some dry sherry for the Shaoxing wine if you like.
*You can also cook your dumplings in your bamboo steamers and put those straight into your Combi-Steam. I like to line them with baking paper or leaves from iceberg lettuce or cabbage which looks nice if you are serving them to the table.
*Extra dumplings can be frozen before cooking in an airtight container lined with baking paper and cooked from frozen for 20 minutes if preferred. Make sure they aren’t touching when freezing so the wrappers don’t break.

If you want to heat your broth in the Combi-Steam too just pop the pot in there on Steam at 100°C/100% for around 30 minutes. Depending on the size of your oven you can hopefully add a tray of dumplings in there half way through so you can have them ready together.

Get your slurp on loyal ones!

Thanks for joining me in the palace kitchen once again.

Happy Combi-Steaming!

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ x