Chinese Steamed Dumpling

The nice thing about these is how incredibly easy they are to make. You can make the filling up to a day ahead. It's a little time consuming and unless you have a multi-tiered steamer, you'll end up doing at least 5 batches, but they're well worth it and it's almost impossible to screw up. I like serving these dim sum style with a little bit of soy sauce and sambal for dipping. You could also make a big batch and then freeze them to eat at your convienence.

I was walking through the local town and country the other day looking for inspiration. I was truly at a loss for what I felt like eating. I spied a package of ground pork and knew immediately, that this was perfect.

That night I actually ended up making a muffaletta because steph had mentioned wanting one and it had been a little while. So I made these the next day on my friday with stir-fried broccoli and carrots.

Chinese Steamed Dumpling

1 lb ground pork
3/4 pound ground shrimp, or chopped with a sharp knife or food processor
1 Tbs garlic, finely chopped
1/2 Tbs ginger, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup shredded napa cabbage or green onions or both
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
1 egg white
1 package square wonton wrappers
napa cabbage leaves for steaming

Combine all ingredients except the wonton wrappers in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate up to overnight.

fill a small bowl with water and place within reach. Spoon 1-2 tsp of filling in the middle of each wonton wrapper. keep the amount of filling consistent so cooking times will be the same.

Dip you index finger in the water and lightly wet two corners of the wonton. Fold all of the corners together at the top of the wonton making the dumpling. Place on a sheet pan and repeat.

Cover the wontons with a damp paper towel to prevent to tops from drying out.
Line the steamer with bamboo leaves and steam for 5-8 minutes or until cooked through. Serve immediately.