The Aimless Cook

Gong Hei Fat Choy! It’s Chinese New Year 2012 and what better way to celebrate then by making more food! Chinese potstickers, or Jiaozi are symbolic of wealth and prosperity due to their shape (they resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots) and are enjoyed during this festive time. Let’s make some Jiaozi!

Filling:

• 1/2 cup cabbage, finely minced
• 1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
• 1 thumb sized piece ginger, grated 
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Wrappers:

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups flour

In a large mixing bowl, add all the filling ingredients and mix well until combined. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to develop the flavours.

In another mixing bowl, put the water into the flour and begin to mix until you get a rough ball of dough. Since this dough has no eggs, you will having yourself a tough sparring partner for a while. This is normal. If you need to, add more water a few drops at a time until you get the mixture workable. You need to knead the dough on a floured surface for at least 10 minutes until smooth. Then set aside and let rest  for at least 10-15 minutes. 

Next, roll your dough into a long 1 inch thick ‘snake’ and then cut into 1 cm sections. Roll out the sections into flat 3 inch rounds and get ready to assemble. Grab a friend, your spouse, partner, kids or whoever wants to get their hands dirty and let’s make dumplings!

With all your ingredients handy, set up a work area with your bowl of filling, the wrappers and a small bowl of water for each person that’s going to be making the dumplings. You will also need a teaspoon for scooping the filling. 

Start by putting the wrapper on your palm and put a teaspoon full of filling into the center. Next, wet the outer edge of the wrapper with a wet finger. Then, simply fold the wrapper over the filling and seal the edges together until tightly closed. Make sure you squeeze out all the air as you close them. 

That was the basic seal. For a more fancy seal, just wet the edge and fold over the wrapper. This time, working from the left end of the seal to the right, make little pleats along the top edge until you close the dumpling. It takes practice, but you do enough of these and you’ll be a pro by the end of the batch.

To cook these beauties, you can do one of 3 things:

Boil:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add half the batch of dumplings and stir to ensure they’re not stuck together. When the water comes to a boil, add 1/2 cup of cold water. When they come to a boil again (3rd time) they’re done!

The potsticker method:

Also you can put them in a non-stick pan lightly oiled with about a teaspoon of sesame oil. Fry the dumplings on medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add a half cup of water to the pan, cover and steam until the water evaporates. Finally, uncover, gently take them out and serve.

Steam:

Simply place in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes. 

Dumplings are great on their own with a simple dipping sauce like this:

• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Chinese red vinegar
• chili oil, to taste
• brown sugar, to taste

Every time I make dipping sauce, it’s always different. It depends on your preference and what ingredients you have at the time. You can substitute sambal oelek for the chili oil or use fresh chilies. Sometimes, I use mirin or sake as well. It’s up to you and your creativity. Have fun and have a very happy and prosperous year!

I am often moved whenever I get to be part of a family gathering, whether it be a holiday or something as simple as an Saturday afternoon meal. This past weekend, I visited a friend’s place in the country for some farm fresh chicken and a meal I wouldn’t soon forget.



It started with a one hour drive north of Calgary. My friend, Jenny has a wonderful place out in the middle of some of the most serene and beautiful countryside in Southern Alberta. Our first stop was her sister, Patsy’s place. As we pulled up, the family was hard at work getting the birds ready for processing. We immediately changed into our overalls and pitched in to help.



I always say it’s a good idea to see where our food comes from. We are often disconnected from the process that brings it to us, whether it be the lettuce for our salad or the grilled chicken in the yakitori. It’s easy to pick up a pre-portioned, neatly wrapped polystyrene tray of whatever at the supermarket without a second thought. I love talking to local food producers at the farmer’s market and hearing the stories behind their food and in turn, they love to talk about it. There’s a real pride that people still have in being able to provide something good for others. I felt that getting involved in the chicken processing would give me a little insight into the work that goes into producing our food.

That morning, the family each played their part, Dad feeding the fire, sisters Patsy and Van getting the birds ready for Mom, who was standing ready with the knife. Jenny and I were on plucking duty. Throughout the process, I would switch and try some of the other tasks, including Mom’s task of dispatching the birds. As we were nearing the completion of our jobs, Van announced she was taking one of the finished birds to the house to make lunch. I grabbed the camera to follow.



The recipe that followed was one of the most simple, unpretentious meals I have eaten in a long time. Using what was on hand, Van made a great soup with the chicken meat, gizzards, eggs, ginger, tomatoes and a bit of salt. And with that one chicken, we fed the entire house.



It was a good day. Mom talked about making do with what they had, remembering times when people would be lucky if they had one chicken in a month. We talked about how we would use parts of the animal that westerners normally throw away. I listened to great stories about sustainability, old traditions and family.

Family time can be something truly priceless, even when it’s not your own.

J

So, until I move in October, I won’t be posting any recipes. I apologize for that. But, I have just uploaded a new food video on my Youtube channel all about Dim Sum! If you never been out for dim sum before, you have to get out there and try it. It’s a great experience.