Mary’s Mandu
Delicious little pockets of joy
They disappear faster than you can fold them!
YIELD: 15 dumplings | PREP TIME: 20 min | COOK TIME: 5-6 min | TOTAL TIME: ~25 min
INGREDIENTS:
Dumplings
½ lb Ground pork or chicken
2 Scallions, finely sliced
1 ½ t Soy sauce
¼ t Black pepper
½ t Sesame oil (optional)
1 Egg, beaten (divided)
15–18 Store-bought wonton wrappers
Dipping Sauce
2 t Soy sauce
¼ t Sugar
½ t Rice wine vinegar (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Make the dipping sauce first so it's ready to go. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine vinegar (if using). Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the ground meat, scallions, soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil (if using), and half the beaten egg. Mix until everything is well combined. Set the other half of the egg aside — you'll use it to seal the dumplings.
Lay out several wonton wrappers with one corner pointing toward you (like a diamond). Place ½ T of the meat mixture in the center of each wrapper. Using a pastry brush or your finger, lightly coat the edges with the reserved beaten egg. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling, pressing the edges firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
If using a metal steamer basket, lightly grease it with cooking oil so the dumplings don't stick. Steam the dumplings for 5–6 minutes, until the wrappers are slightly translucent and the filling is cooked through.
Serve warm with the dipping sauce on the side.
NOTES:
Sealing tip: Press out any air pockets when you fold the wrapper. Trapped air causes dumplings to burst while steaming.
Batch tip: These freeze beautifully before cooking. Lay uncooked dumplings flat on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag. Steam from frozen by adding 2–3 extra minutes to cook time.
No steamer? A metal colander set over a pot of boiling water and covered with a lid works just as well.
