Shrimp and Vegetable Dumplings

Happy Chinese New Year. To celebrate, try your hand at making dumplings. They’re easier to make than you might think, especially if you take advantage of purchased dumpling wrappers. You can find them in the refrigerated sections of most well-stocked grocery stores and almost any Asian market. They are often labeled as pot sticker wrappers or, at Japanese stores, as gyoza wrappers. Both work equally well.

Shrimp and Vegetable Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 lb. (500 g) shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup (3 oz./90 g) coarsely chopped green cabbage
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. mirin
• About 24 round dumpling wrappers
• Light soy sauce, mild mustard or chili sauce for dipping

Directions

1. Combine half of the shrimp and all of the carrot, cabbage, cilantro, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and mirin in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in the remaining shrimp.

2. Place a dumpling wrapper on a clean work surface and spoon 1 tsp. of the shrimp mixture onto the center of the wrapper. Fold in half to enclose the filling and use your fingers to crimp the edges of the dumpling to seal. Transfer the dumpling to a platter and cover with a damp paper towel. Repeat with the remaining filling and the remaining wrappers, transferring the dumplings to the platter as they are assembled.

3. At this point the dumplings can be frozen if desired. To freeze, arrange the dumplings in a single layer, not touching, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. When the dumplings are firm, transfer them to sealable plastic bags and freeze for up to 1 month.

4. When ready to serve, in a sauté pan or wok large enough to hold a steamer basket or in a ceramic steamer, bring water to a simmer. Arrange some of the dumplings in a single layer in the basket, leaving some space between them. Set the basket in the steamer, cover tightly and steam the dumplings until the filling is firm, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm while you repeat with the remaining dumplings.

5. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce alongside. Makes about 24 dumplings.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen