Sichuan Zhong's Dumpling Recipe (钟水饺)
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Author:
Souped Up Recipes
Servings
4
Prep Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Zhong Shui Jiao (钟水饺) is the most famous dumpling in Sichaun, which is known for its spicy, complex, aromatic flavor and its small exquisite size.
Ingredients
For the filling (10g each, make 50-55 dumplings)
- 400 grams of pork shoulder
- 3/4 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp of white pepper
- 1/2 tsp of sugar
- 1 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp of cornstarch
- 1 tbsp of sesame oil
- 3 slices of ginger,
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- 1 scallion,
- 1 tsp of Sichuan peppercorns
- 100 grams of water
For the wrapper
- 210 grams of all-purpose flour
- 1 whole egg
- 55 grams of water
- 1/2 tsp of salt
For the seasoned sweet soy sauce
- 1.5 cup of light soy sauce
- 1.5 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1 dried shitake mushroom, crushed
- 3 slices of ginger
- 1 scallion
- 4-5 cilantro leaves
- a shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 small stick of cinnamon
- 1 star anise
- 1/2 of a black cardamom
- 1/2 tbsp of Sichuan peppercorn
- 1 piece of bay leave
- 2 red dried chilies
- 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp of white pepper
To assemble one serving of Zhong's dumpling
- 12 cooked dumplings
- 1-2 tbsp of the seasoned soy sauce
- 1-4 tbsp of hot chili oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated
Directions
- To make the wrapper. Dissolve 1/2 tsp of salt into 55 grams of water, then pour it into 210 grams of all-purpose flour. Stir till well mixed. Then crack in a large size egg. Knead it until a rough dough forms. Let it rest for 15 minutes. The dough will be much softer. Then you should be able to knead it smooth within 5 minutes. Shape it into a log and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
- In a saucepot, add all the ingredients for the seasoned soy sauce. Simmer over low heat, uncovered for 25 minutes or until 3/5 of the liquid is evaporated. Seive out the spices. Store the soy sauce in a sealed container.
- In a blender cup, add 3 slices of ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 scallion, 1 tsp of Sichuan peppercorns, and 100 grams of water. Blend this into a puree. Let it go through a sieve. Then season it with 3/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of white pepper, 1/2 tsp of sugar, and 1 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine. Add 2 tbsp of cornstarch. Mix well. Set it aside.
- Cut the pork shoulder into bite-size chunks. Transfer the pork to a food processor. Use the on and off button to grind it for just 20-30 seconds. Switch the speed to low. Crack in 1 egg. Add the aromatic cornstarch water and a drizzle of sesame oil. Continue to mix for 2 minutes. Set it aside.
- Roll the dough into a long even log. Portion it into small little dough pieces. Each one should be about 6 grams.
- Take one piece of the dough, and dust a little more flour to prevent stickiness. Flatten it with your hand and roll it into a round wrapper. The size should be 2.5-3 inches in diameter.
- Put about 10 grams of the filling on the wrapper. Simply fold it in half and lightly pinch the edge. Continue to do that until you finish all the dumplings.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Use a spatula to swirl the water to create a vortex. Then put the dumplings in. You just keep the heat at medium. Continue to swirl the water to move the dumplings. We will cook this for 8 minutes.
- Don't leave the stove because you have to monitor the heat and keep the pot at a slight simmer. If you see the water is bubbling too much, add a little water to drop the temperature. Do not boil the dumplings; otherwise, the filling becomes less juicy and bit tougher. You want to poach the dumplings so they come out perfectly tender.
- Fish out the dumplings. Shake off the excess water. Put them in a bowl. Season it with sweet soy sauce, hot chili oil and two cloves of grated garlic. Enjoy!
