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Wok With Me

New Year 4

New Page 4

Dumplings

Makes about 40 dumplings

Ingredients:
Dumplings:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup cold water

Filling:
1 1/2 lbs regular ground pork (with some fat)
1 egg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon wine
1/2 lb shrimp meat, chopped

10 ounces Chinese bok choy, chopped
1 tablespoon green onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
2 tablespoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons oil

Add the warm water to the flour and stir well, then add the cold water. Knead the dough, cover it with a towel, and let it sit for at least 20 minutes.
In a bowl, mix together thoroughly the pork, shrimp, green onion, ginger, bok choy, salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, cornstarch, and wine. This will be the filling for the dumplings.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board and knead until it is smooth. Cut the dough into 40 equal pieces. Use your hand to flatten each piece of dough, and roll it into a thin pancake approximately 3 inches across.
Place 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of the dumpling and fold the skin in half, forming a semicircle or half-moon shape. Press to seal the edges.
Heat a flat frying pan and add 3 tablespoons of oil. When oil is ready, add the dumplings. Make sure the dumplings do not touch. (Cook in batches if necessary). Cover the pan and cook the dumplings on high heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cold water, cover and cook for a further five minutes. (Adding cold water will steam the top of the dumplings). Repeat until the bottom of the dumplings are a golden brown color (usually 3 times).

Serve the dumplings immediately with soy sauce.

Potsticker Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons Chinese red rice vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped (or substitute chopped green onion)

Directions
Combine all the ingredients. Serve with potstikers


Sesame Seed Balls (Ma T'uan)

Makes 20 balls

Ingredients:
1 pound glutinous rice flour
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 cup sweet red bean paste

1/4 cup white sesame seeds
4 cups oil for deep frying

Dissolve the brown sugar in boiling water. Place the rice flour in a large bowl. Make a well and add the dissolved sugar and water mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
Dust your hands with a bit of rice flour and shape the dough into balls roughly 2 inches in diameter (about the size of gold balls). Repeat the process with the red bean paste, using about 1 teaspoon and shaping into smaller balls.
Next, using the thumb and index finger of both hands, press a hole into the dough so that you've formed a cup. Place a ball of the red bean paste inside and press the edges of the dough together so that the filling is completely covered and there are no holes. Roll each of the filled balls in your hands to form a perfect circle and then roll the ball in the sesame seeds.
Deep-fry the sesame seed balls, a few at a time, in oil heated to between 320 and 350 degrees.
Once the sesame seeds turn light brown and the balls start floating to the surface (about 2 minutes), gently apply pressure to the ball with the back of a spatula or a large ladle against the side of the wok. Continue applying pressure as the balls increase in size to approximately three times their normal size and turn golden brown. Place the deep-fried sesame seed balls on a tray lined with paper towels to drain. Serve warm. If preparing ahead, refrigerate and then re-heat the balls until they puff up again.


Cantonese Spring Rolls
Makes 30 Spring Rolls

1 pound sirloin or center cut pork fillets, trimmed of fat and gristle

For the marinade, mixed together:
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the filling:
1/3 pound raw medium-size shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed, drained and patted dry
1 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp rice wine 1 teaspoon cornstarch
7 tbsp corn oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
10 dried Chinese black mushrooms, softened in hot water to cover, drained, stems removed and caps shredded
4 cups thin julienne strips cored Chinese Napa Cabbage
2 cups fresh Chinese garlic chives or leeks (white sections only), cut into 1-inch lengths
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

For the sauce, mix together:
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine or sake
1 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

To Make and Fry the Spring Rolls:
30 spring roll skins
6 tbsp water
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups safflower or corn oil

To Serve:
Chinese plum or duck sauce
Chinese hot mustard

Directions:
Using a sharp knife, cut the pork across the grain into paper-thin slices, then cut slices into matchstick-size shreds. Place in a medium-size bowl, add the marinade, toss lightly to coat, and let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature. Drain.
Slice the shrimp lengthwise in half. Cut into 1/4-inch dice. Place in a small bowl, add 1 teaspoon of the minced ginger, the rice wine and cornstarch, and toss lightly to coat.
Heat a wok or a large heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and heat until hot, about 30 seconds. Add the drained pork and stir-fry, stirring constantly, until the meat loses its pink color and separates into shreds. Remove with a handled strainer or a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Wipe out the pan. Reheat the pan, add 2 tablespoons of the oil, and heat until hot over high heat. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until opaque. Remove with a handled strainer or a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Wipe out the pan.
Reheat the pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and heat until hot over high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon minced ginger, the garlic and mushrooms and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the cabbage and toss lightly over high heat until slightly limp, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the garlic chives or leeks and the bean sprouts, toss lightly for 30 seconds, and add the sauce mixture. Cook, stirring continuously to prevent lumps, until thickened. Transfer to a serving platter to cool. Clean out the pan.
Separate the spring roll skins and cover them with a damp cotton dish towel to keep them from drying out. In a small bowl, mix the water and flour together until smooth. Arrange a skin facing you. Squeeze a heaping tablespoon of the filling to remove any excess liquid and place toward the lower third of the wrapper. Roll up to form a cylindrical shape, folding in the two sides as you roll. Spread some of the flour mixture on the top edge and press to seal the seam. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Reheat the wok or skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the oil and heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add a batch of the spring rolls without crowding them and fry, turning constantly so they cook evenly, until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a handled strainer or a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. (You may want to keep them warm in a preheated 250 degree Fahrenheit oven). Reheat the oil until hot again and continue frying the remaining rolls in batches, reheating the oil each time. Serve with the plum sauce and hot mustard. (You can freeze the rolls once they have cooled. To serve, defrost, arrange on a rack placed on a baking sheet, and reheat in a preheated 375 degree oven until crisp, about 15 minutes.)


Tea Eggs

6 eggs
2 star anise
4 tablespoons black tea
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
water to boil eggs
1 cinnamon stick (optional)

Place the eggs in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and allow the eggs to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Place the eggs under cold running water to cool. Don't drain the water in the pan. Using the back of a heavy spoon, make a series of cracks all over the eggshells, making sure the shell remains intact. (Don't worry if the shell does come off - it just means that egg will have a darker color than the others). Bring the water in the pan back to a boil. Mix in the other ingredients, and then add the eggs. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least an hour, preferably longer. Let the eggs remain in the juice until they are served. May be prepared in advance, and may be frozen.


WHITE CUT CHICKEN

Ingredients:
Chicken: 1 whole chicken (a 4-pound chicken will serve 4-6 as part of a multi-course meal)
3 quarts of water
Salt (to taste)
Sauce:
Soy sauce
1 small piece of ginger
2 to 4 cloves Garlic
Jalapeno peppers to taste
Lime juice from half a lime

For Chicken: Clean and rinse the chicken under cold water. Rub with about 2 teaspoons of salt.
In a large pot, heat 3 quarts of water to boil. As the water approaches a rolling, vigorous boil, carefully put the bird in, breast side up. The chicken should be completely covered with water, if not, add more boiling water. Put a lid on the pot immediately, turn off the heat and let the bird stay in the pot for an hour and a half. The steam and hot water will finish cooking the chicken, tenderizing it. After the chicken is cooked, transfer the hot chicken to a colander in the sink and run cold water over the chicken for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. At this point, you can carve it as you would a Thanksgiving turkey or shred the meat with your fingers. I prefer to shred the meat and arrange with the sauce on the side.
For Sauce: Take a small piece of ginger and slice finely. Peel and slice garlic. Depending on how much heat you want, take pepper(s) and slice thickly. Mix the ginger, garlic and peppers in a small shallow bowl and pour enough soy sauce to cover. Add lime juice and stir. You can add more lime juice if you want a more acidic, sharp sauce.


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