Chicken and Shrimp Dumplings
by
Pan-seared or steamed in a bamboo steamer, Asian dumplings are a family favorite at my house. And, with the help of prepared wonton wrappers and a few other ingredients they are quite simple to prepare. In fact, I shared the recipe with a group of middle school students attending my summer cooking camps, and their families have reported back that their children prepare them regularly almost unsupervised.
While I like the combination of the chicken and shrimp, you can simply use one or the other, or substitute ground pork. In a pinch, I’ve even used mild breakfast sausage to which I’ve added some chopped green onion, soy sauce, and grated ginger.
Here, the dumplings are pan-seared in a combination of peanut and dark sesame oil. The sesame oil adds another dimension of flavor, but can be omitted. A simple sauce of sugar, vinegar, garlic, and chopped red chile pepper is the perfect accompaniment, but you could substitute a prepared sweet chile sauce from the Asian foods sections of your supermarket.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the dumplings and cook until bottoms are golden. Add enough chicken broth to barely cover wontons, cover and simmer approx. 8 minutes. Remove and keep warm in a low oven while you prepare the remaining dumplings. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
Makes approximately 32 dumplings.
While I like the combination of the chicken and shrimp, you can simply use one or the other, or substitute ground pork. In a pinch, I’ve even used mild breakfast sausage to which I’ve added some chopped green onion, soy sauce, and grated ginger.
Here, the dumplings are pan-seared in a combination of peanut and dark sesame oil. The sesame oil adds another dimension of flavor, but can be omitted. A simple sauce of sugar, vinegar, garlic, and chopped red chile pepper is the perfect accompaniment, but you could substitute a prepared sweet chile sauce from the Asian foods sections of your supermarket.
- 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
- 1/2 pound chicken breast meat
- 2 green onions, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts
- 1 tablespoon Maggi seasoning or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon rice wine or dry Sherry
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, plus 2 teaspoons for sautéing
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 1 large clove
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus additional for dusting
- Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
- 1 16-ounce package wonton wrappers
- Water
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
- 1 cup chicken broth
Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the dumplings and cook until bottoms are golden. Add enough chicken broth to barely cover wontons, cover and simmer approx. 8 minutes. Remove and keep warm in a low oven while you prepare the remaining dumplings. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 small hot red chile, seeded and finely minced
Makes approximately 32 dumplings.
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Karin Calloway is a working mom living in Augusta, Ga., with multiple freelance jobs and a ton of dirty dishes. |