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!

Yaka-mein, more affectionately known as “Old Sober” as it is a popular hangover remedy, is an American-Soul Food fusion dish from New Orleans. There are a couple different stories surrounding the origin of this local favorite. One story claims that the dish was the result of servicemen coming home from WWII and Korea with a craving for the tastes of Asian food. Another one tells the tale of Chinese immigrants in the 1800s that worked the plantations, and later on, the railroads who made their version of this soup using local ingredients. In any case, what we have is a simple and satisfying noodle soup that makes the perfect street food with a flavor profile that stands on it’s own.

I love dishes with interesting stories and mysterious origins and this one was definitely worth researching in more depth. On the surface, Yaka-mein looks very simple and unassuming. The soup has a beef broth base like many Asian soups but it’s uniqueness comes from the addition of local spices and condiments like Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Old Bay and even ketchup. Reminds me of when I was a kid at a family picnic and I saw some guy putting ketchup in his pancit.

The meat is usually brisket (suggesting a Korean influence?) or pork chops, but can consist of any leftover meat or seafood that you got. My version has leftover Filipino bbq pork (the kind you see at every Filipino picnic on the skewers). Hard boiled eggs are a common inclusion as well as the green onion garnish. So as you can see, Yaka-mein is a great dish to explore your culinary creativity. I will give you a starting point and you can take it from there. Have fun!

Yaka-mein (for 2):

• 1L good quality beef broth
• soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• spaghetti noodles, boiled al dente, drained and rinsed
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• leftover steak, pork chops, chicken, shrimp, brisket (whatever you got)
• a couple hard boiled eggs
• hot sauce, Old Bay or ketchup for seasoning

Start by cooking your noodles. New Orleans locals use spaghetti, but you can really use whatever you want. In my video, I used some brown rice pasta I had lying around. In another pot, start heating up the beef broth to a nice simmer. Cut up the meat into manageable strips and pop it into the broth to warm through. When the pasta is done, drain and strain. Now you’re ready to assemble.

Grab yourself a bowl or a large cup. Start by putting the noodles on the bottom and then ladle the broth and meat on top. Cut your hard boiled eggs in half and put on top. Season with your soy sauce and seasonings to taste. Finish with the green onion and enjoy!