Dill is a classic ingredient in northern Chinese cooking. Salmon, on the other hand, is not, but the combination is too good to ignore, so I decided to wrap them up together in a dumpling. Oily salmon makes for an amazingly rich base compared to the usual cod or shrimp, and a heavy hand with the dill balances it well. To complete the dish, serve these with some sour cream. A little caviar wouldn’t hurt either.
— Helen You
If you make the wrappers from scratch, you’ll need Helen You’s recipe for Boiled Dumpling Wrappers.
ON-DEMAND: Listen to Faith and co-writer Max Falkowitz talk about these dumplings, as well as other dumplings for Chinese New Year.
Excerpted from The Dumpling Galaxy Cookbook by Helen You with Max Falkowitz. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright ©2017 Helen You. Photograph ©2017 Ed Anderson.
- 1 scallion finely chopped, white and green parts
- 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 pound salmon cleaned and chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon sherry cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill
- 24 boiled dumpling wrappers (see headnote for recipe link)
- sour cream for serving
- In a small bowl, stir the scallion and ginger together to create a thick paste. In a medium bowl, combine the salmon, wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, scallion-ginger paste, and pepper, and mix until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes, then return the bowl to your counter and use your hands to fold in the dill until fully incorporated.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, make the dumpling wrappers. Holding a wrapper in your palm, use a fork to add about 1 tablespoon of the filling to the center of the wrapper, then lightly pat down the filling with the fork to get rid of any air bubbles.
- Fold the dumpling into the round yuan bao shape. Inspect the dumpling for any holes and pinch them shut. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers.
- Working in batches, add the dumplings to the pot, 6 at a time. Boil for 2 minutes on high, then reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 3 minutes, then reduce the heat again to medium and cook for 3 more minutes. The dumplings are ready a minute or so after they rise to the surface; their skins will turn puffy. Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer the dumplings to a plate and serve immediately. Bring the water back to a boil over high heat and repeat with the remaining dumplings.
