Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Pork & Leek Dumplings

Pork & Leek Dumplings

Asian-inspired pork and leek dumplings simmered in seasoned stock and served with rice. Leftovers were also good served in the stock as a dumpling soup.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/pork-leek-dumplings.html
This is not Polish pottery. This is from the Inker pottery in Croatia. I got it while I was deployed.
When I get leeks in the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share they usually come in big bunches. I can't use them all up in a week, so I will chop them in half long ways, then chop into a useful dice, soak to remove grit, and spin in my salad spinner. After they are clean I spread them out on a tray to freeze before popping them into a zip top bag. During the winter I'll add leeks to whatever looks good. Like these dumplings.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/pork-leek-dumplings.html

This post is an example of letting go of the quest for perfection, because less than perfect-looking food still tastes good. Sure, I'm going to try and get a photo that looks as good as I can style it because you can't smell or taste through the screen, but I'm also going to show you how we really ate these dumplings--off plastic plates, without a healthy green vegetable side dish in sight.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/pork-leek-dumplings.html

Where to start? I suppose with the dumplings. I picked up a package of dumpling wrappers without a plan. They got shuffled around the fridge, stuck into the freezer, forgotten then rediscovered during a freezer reorganization. Finally I got the idea for dumplings. This recipe comes primarily from Mark Bittman's app How To Cook Everything. I won the app years ago in a giveaway from The Naptime Chef. I have the app on my phone, and if I'm sitting waiting for a kid and dreaming up recipe ideas I can search for inspiration to fan those flames. I had some Thai turkey stock on hand, so I figured I'd give the dumplings a Thai twist then simmer them in the turkey stock.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/pork-leek-dumplings.html

After mixing up the filling, my son and I spent an enjoyable afternoon assembling the dumplings. [Ok, it wasn't the entire afternoon, but it wasn't 10 minutes of work. There's a big reason I don't list preparation times on this blog--I AM SLOW IN THE KITCHEN. If I read that it takes 10 minutes to prep the ingredients for a recipe, I can guarantee that it will take me easily 30 minutes. I'm just slow, and I'm OK with that.] We chatted about life, as folks typically do when working together towards a common goal, and didn't really focus on creating the perfect photo-worthy dumplings. We weren't in a hurry, it was a Sunday, and we were just enjoying the moment. The dumplings don't look perfect, and that's OK. After all that time crimping and chatting I just wasn't into fixing a side dish, so we ate these dumplings with rice my daughter started in the rice cooker. Not every meal has to meet the perfection of whatever meal ideals are currently in vogue.


If you'd like to make wonton, here's an excellent tutorial of Shannon's son Brady working on a boy scout badge and folding wonton.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/pork-leek-dumplings.html

Pork and Leek Dumplings (serves 4 to 6)

(the recipe is mostly Mark Bittman's Potstickers with a Thai twist)
½ pound ground pork
1 cup chopped leeks (these can be thawed from frozen)
¼ teaspoon chopped galangal
¼ teaspoon chopped kaffir lime leaves
¼ teaspoon chopped thai basil leaves
¼ teaspoon chopped lemongrass
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
about ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 egg
1 package round wonton wrappers (there were 60 in my package and we used all but 2 broken ones)
2 quarts stock (I used Thai Turkey, but chicken or vegetable would do)
to serve--hot cooked rice, scallions, sesame oil and soy sauce

In a large bowl, mix together pork, seasonings and egg until thoroughly combined. Set aside. Prepare a space and have chairs--it can take a while. You'll need a tray to hold the assembled dumplings, a dish of water for wetting your fingers/the wrapper, and a space to fill and fold. On the fill & fold space, put a generous ½ teaspoon to scant 1 teaspoon--I'm saying about ¾ teaspoon here--of filling in the center of the wrapper. Moisten your finger and the edge of the wrapper, then bring the edges up and pinch closed. Or fold it over into a half moon shape. Or just whatever you can manage.  Set completed dumplings on the tray.  When you're out of wrappers or filling or--magically--both, bring stock to simmer over medium heat in a wide shallow pot. I used my Pretty Purple Pot (Amazon affiliate link). Gently lower the dumplings into the stock (I did cram them all into the one pot). Simmer for 10 minutes after you get them all in. Serve with hot cooked rice and drizzled with soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallions if you've got them. Mine are growing in a shot glass so I have some now.

{Reality} On Sunday nights our family likes to watch TV together. Usually it's a How It's Made, Top Gear, or anything with Sir David Attenborough followed by America's Funniest Videos. When we eat dinner in the basement we use plastic plates, due to a tragic kid vs Polish pottery incident years ago in Virginia.** I want to love my kids as much as I love my Polish pottery, so we use plastic while carrying food on the stairs. And yes, we eat while watching TV.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/pork-leek-dumplings.html

**The kids were fine and still remain members of the family. The Polish pottery did not survive being dropped on the edge of a wooden stair tread when both kids spontaneously and simultaneously abdicated responsibility for taking the plates upstairs. Otherwise it's very sturdy stuff--microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe.

This post is linked up with What's Cookin' Wednesday, twice because I need more tea this morning.

21 comments:

  1. I love this post! It is so nice to get real now and then and show how we really eat. I have had people tell me they are "nervous" to feed me because of my blog, which is totally not the reaction I want. Most of the time we eat really simple, quick, and SO not fancy meals! These dumplings look really great. I have some wonton wrappers in my fridge calling out my name right now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nicole,
      Don't forget about your wrappers! That happened to mine. In the end, because they do freeze just fine, it turned out well. But my good 'Let's Make Dumplings!' intentions were sidetrack a couple of months.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  2. I love lime leaves and lemon grass. I like your thai updates to Bittman's potstickers. Great idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barrett,
      I have these little jars of goodies that seem to never empty, so it's easy to tuck them into a variety of dishes.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  3. Hi Kirsten, just stopped by to let you know you've been featured today over at Carole's Chatter. Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carole,
      Thank you so much for the feature! That was a tasty pizza and worth trying.

      Delete
  4. I am pretty sure I could make myself sick eating far too many of these. I have been craving a good recipe for dumplings since we moved from DC to Texas, and this one just may fit the bill! Looks fantastic, and easier than I thought!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dee Dee,
      Do you know what I miss most from DC? Ma Po Tofu and Ma La Wonton from Great Wall at Logan Circle. They just don't make it spicy enough here, and throw in peas and carrots (peas and carrots?!) to boot. My brother brings frozen containers that we savor, it's the only way.
      That being said, you can make these dumplings in Texas. Thanks!

      Delete
  5. You got me! I absolutely adore a great dumpling recipe and I certainly found it here! I also love the combination you used. Bravo!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. You were braver than me in letting your kids even handle the Polish pottery in the first place. My Polish dishes come out when company comes or as blog props. Of course, I have way too many dishes for them to realize that they are being excluded from anything. That assuages my guilt for keeping some things "for good." I love these potstickers. I haven't figured out how to make them gluten free, but I can still enjoy the filling in meatball form.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kristen,
      I love the look of Polish pottery, and that's what we eat off of breakfast, lunch, and most dinners. My brother brought me 2 dozen plates (not the massive ones you see at TJ Maxx and Christmas Tree Shops, but more reasonable sized ones) when he was stationed in Austria. The remaining 22 plates live happily in the kitchen, along with their buddies the bowls my folks brought back from a visit to my brother. If I didn't have a ton, I'd be hoarding them for sure!

      I wonder if you can buy rice paper wrappers in dumpling size, of course I haven't checked that they are GF.

      Thanks!

      Delete
    2. Kristen,
      Look what I found! Erin has made steamed and fried pork dumplings using GF rice paper wrappers: http://www.erinbrighton.com/gluten-free-pork-dumplings/

      Delete
  7. I don't know why I am intimidated by pot stickers--but I am. So I am seriously impressed by these! And if Alex thought I could make them at home I would never hear the end of it lol....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura,
      I am intimidated by pie crust. Some people are freaked out by spiders. We're each allowed to have a thing, and that's OK. Perhaps multiple things.
      I won't tell Alex. I promise.

      Delete
  8. I love pot stickers and it's been forever since I made any - time to fix that! Yours look and sound fantastic, pork is one of my favorite pot sticker/wonton/egg roll/whatever filling.

    -Julie @ Texan New Yorker

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Julie,
      Because we've got so much beef in the freezer it's my usual go-to for meat, but we like to eat pork and chicken and fish so I like to keep it interesting when we do.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  9. I very much like your 'blog' shot and then the real deal. I'm playing on doing a WIAW like this in the future. A his and her version if you will. My stylized plate and the Hubby's all dumped in pile. :)

    You can put Polish pottery in the dishwasher? Mind blown.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meghan,
      What is it with males and dumping in a pile? Though I will say my son has been styling his broiled cheese sandwiches. It's adorable.
      Polish pottery is darn sturdy stuff. My plates flew over in the overhead compartment with my brother a day or two after the incident that resulted in no liquids being brought onto planes. Just my bro, his passport and ticket, and 2 dozen Polish pottery plates--none of the other usual carryon items. I am incredibly lucky that he likes to get to the airport early enough that he could unwrap and scan every single plate because they initially were not going to permit him to carry them onto the plane. But he had loads of time before his plane . . .

      Delete
  10. This looks over the top amazing! Thanks for linking up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!

    ReplyDelete