Steamy Wok Surprise

The boy and I have a huge vinyl chalkboard decal stuck to the side of our frig where we do our menu planning for the week ahead. This recipe debuted on the chalkboard as "steamy wok surprise." Awful, I know. But I had new bamboo steamer baskets that I wanted to use but hadn't found the right recipe yet. The recipe would be the surprise. I was thinking some kind of steamed fish and veggies, but kept lingering over the dumpling recipes. The dumplings won out.

Steamed Pork Dumplings
Adapted from epicurious.com
Makes 20.

1 1/2 Tb egg white
1 Tb minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup diced water chestnuts or jicama
1/4 cup minced scallion
1/2 pound ground pork
20 wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen

For the filling: Lightly whisk egg white in a large bowl, then whisk in ginger, garlic, peanut oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add water chestnuts or jicama, scallion, and pork and mix together with your hands until combined well.

Assemble dumplings: Separate wonton wrappers and restack in piles of 10. Cut through each stack with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter and discard trimmings. Arrange 6 rounds on a work surface (keep remaining rounds covered with plastic wrap) and mound a scant tablespoon filling in center of each. Lightly moisten edge of wrappers with a finger dipped in water. Working with one at a time and leaving dumpling on flat surface, gather edge of wrapper around side of filling, pleating wrapper to form a cup and pressing pleats against filling (leave dumpling open at top). Flatten filling flush with edge of wrapper with wet finger and transfer dumpling to a tray. Make more dumplings in same manner with remaining rounds and filling.

Steam dumplings: Line bamboo baskets with cheesecloth or leafy greens. (You could also generously oil the bottom of a colander-steamer insert) Bring a few inches of water to a boil in pot that the baskets will fit in easily. Arrange 10 dumplings, about 1/2 inch apart, in each tier and steam over moderate heat, covered, until dough is translucent and filling is just cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Serve immediately with soy dipping sauce.

Soy dipping sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water
3 Tb seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
handful of thinly sliced scallion

Stir together soy sauce, water, vinegar, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Just before serving, stir in scallion.

If you're making these for a party or large group, the original recipe makes 60. Do it up!