Shandong Pork and Fish Dumplings (Jiaozi)

Step 1

Start by making the dumpling dough. Add the all-purpose flour to the bowl of an electric mixer. With the mixer on low, slowly add the water. Run the mixer until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. 2 cups of water is a baseline. You may need less water in humid climates and more in drier climates/times of year (i.e. winter).

Step 2

The finished dough should be soft and pliable, but not wet or sticky. Cover with an overturned bowl or plate, and let the dough rest on the counter for 1 hour. This gives the flour more time to absorb moisture, which will make the dough smoother and easier to work with. While the dough is resting, make the filling.

Step 3

Take a spoon and scrape the fish meat a little bit at a time, discarding the tough membrane that’s left behind. Coarsely chop the fish (no need to make it into a paste-like texture at this stage). Add the fish to a large mixing bowl along with the rest of the filling ingredients. Whip in one direction using chopsticks or a wooden spoon for a good 5 minutes until the filling becomes gooey and sticky. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Step 4

Now we are ready to assemble the dumplings! When the dough is done resting, cut it into eighths. Take one of your smaller pieces of dough, keeping the rest of the pieces covered to prevent them from drying out. Roll the small piece of dough into a thick cylinder on a clean and lightly floured surface. Cut the cylinder into 10-gram pieces using a kitchen scale. Now take one piece, and roll it from edge to center with a small rolling pin as you turn the dough in a circular motion. The end result is a 3-inch diameter dumpling wrapper that has thinner edges and a slightly thicker center.

Step 5

Add about a tablespoon of filling to the center, and fold the wrapper in half. Position the dumpling so that each side is held in place by your thumb and index finger (this is a two-handed operation). Then with gentle pressure, press the two sides of the wrappers closed tightly. At the same time, press the filling slightly downward, by bringing your wrists slightly closer. Practice will make perfect! Place the dumplings on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Step 6

Before you go too far down the road of making the dumplings, now is a good time to pause for a taste test. Boil a small pot of water just as you’re beginning to assemble the dumplings, and cook 2-3 test dumplings according to the cooking instructions below. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly before proceeding with the rest of the batch! You may want more Shaoxing wine, more vinegar, more ginger, or more soy sauce, for example.

Step 7

Before cooking the dumplings, assemble the dipping sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Step 8

To cook the dumplings, make sure to cook them in small batches, since the filling is somewhat wet and the dumplings will loose their shape when left sitting for too long.

Step 9

Fill a large soup pot halfway with water. Bring it to a boil. Add the dumplings, stirring the water slowly as you add them to prevent them from sticking to each other. Keep the pot uncovered.

Step 10

Bring the water to a boil again, and then add 1 additional cup of cold water to stop the boiling process. As the pot of water continues to rise in temperature, repeat this previous step 3 until the dumplings are floating to the surface. The dumplings are cooked once the water has boiled after three instances of adding cold water. Scoop them out with a strainer or slotted spoon, and enjoy them right away with the dipping sauce. Cook additional batches as needed!