They got their name translated from the mandarin word guo-tie which means 'pot-stick' in English.
Legend has it that the imperial chef of the Chinese palace carelessly left the dumplings on the pan for too long and burnt the bottom of the dumplings to a crisp leaving the top soft and smooth. With no time to re-cook, the nervous imperial chef presented the dumplings upside down with the crispy side facing up and courageously declared a new style of dumplings. Alas the court loved it and we commoners get to enjoy it today.
The best way to get a good result is to use a nonstick frypan like my Italian made, RACO Bravo 24cm Frypan for even heating and a crispy golden finish executed on a low to medium heat.
Ingredients:
- 400g quality beef mince
- 2 tablespoons of minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons Japanese mirin
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of chopped shiitake mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon of white pepper
- 1 tablespoons rice bran oil
- 4 tablespoons of corn starch solution
Note: Create a corn starch solution by adding 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch to about 4 tablespoons of water, briskly whisk it for 3-4 seconds to make a cloudy white liquid.
Method:
- In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients together except the last two on the list. Keep stiring the mixture in a clockwise direction to amalgamate the ingredients properly.
- Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Once the mixture is chilled and more firm, spoon the filling on each dumpling skin and fold them in half using water dabbed around the edges to make them stick.
- Join the edges together, start to pleat the edges and place on a plate. I find freezing the dumplings after helps keeping the shape better when pan frying later.
- To cook, place the RACO Bravo Frypan over a medium heat for two minutes then turn it down slightly. Add oil and fry for a couple of mins until the bottom starts to crisp then add the corn starch and cover for 3 mins.
- Remove lid to let the moisture evaporate. I personally like to flip my dumplings on another side so I get two crispy surfaces (yum!).
- Remove and toss in sesame oil and garnish with sesame seeds and chives.
Tip: Dumplings can be made a few days in advance until its reading to cook. The pros of freezing the dumpling helps them to retain a better shape while cooking.
If you cook your dumplings frozen, removed from the freezer and place them straight into the pan and steam for an extra 2 mins over a medium fire. Do not defrost.