Ingredients

Jiaozi wrappers

4 cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cups water

1 teaspoon salt

Chicken filling

1 pound ground dark meat chicken
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 egg

1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 cup minced green onions

For serving

Chiangkang vinegar

Chili oil

Fulfilled by

Chef notes

This is a traditional recipe jiaozi, the steamed dumplings that are iconic cuisine in Beijing and other parts of China and East Asia. Similar to the Japanese gyoza, these tender dumplings are filled with a fragrant ground dark meat chicken mixture. Staples of Chinese cooking, the fresh ginger, green onion, soy sauce and sesame oil, are all typical ways to bring forth a balance of vibrant flavor with simple ingredients. Putting the love into hand-making the jiaozi wrappers makes each one taste like Grandma's.

Special equipment: Stand mixer with dough attachment; pasta roller, small Chinese-style rolling pin or rolling pin; 3-inch cookie cutter; dumpling folder.

Preparation

Make the jiaozi wrapper:

Combine the flour, water and salt in a mixer. Knead until it forms a smooth dough, and rest it for 30 minutes.

After the dough has rested, portion it into bottle cap–size balls then individually roll them out into small rounds with a rolling pin to make wrappers. Alternatively, you can run the dough through a pasta roller. Roll them to number 4 thickness, then use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut out round wrappers.

Make the filling:

Put the ground chicken in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Combine the oyster sauce and soy sauce together in a cup. Slowly pour this liquid into the ground chicken while stirring, until all the liquid absorbs into the meat. Next, add the egg and sesame oil and mix well. After all the seasoning is incorporated into the chicken, add the ginger and green onions and mix until well combined.

Assemble the dumplings:

Using a dumpling folder, if you’d like, or your hands, take one wrapper and 1 tablespoon of chicken filling per dumpling. Place the filling in the middle of the wrapper, close the edges and make them into an ear shape (half-moon shape).

Boil water in a large pot and carefully add in the jiaozi. When the water returns to a boil, add 1/2 cup of cold water and bring back to a boil again. When all the jiaozi are floating on top of the water, they are done (about 5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and plate up.

Enjoy them hot with some Chiangkang vinegar and chili oil.