Jennifer Lee grew up in Taiwan, where she remembers eating jiao zi as an easy lunch. Many dumpling fillings contain either Chinese chives or Napa cabbage, or both, but deferring to her daughter's taste preferences, Jennifer omits both, and substitutes zucchini for an unusual, but tasty twist. Her restaurateur-husband George is a fan of this filling, too.
1 pound ground pork
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped fine
1 egg white
Pinch of white pepper
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 tablespoon regular table salt (use 1 teaspoon if kosher salt)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 medium zucchini, peeled, finely grated (use the small holes of a grater)
Ginger juice, a few drops (optional)
Strain grated zucchini to remove any excess liquid.
Using your hands, thoroughly combine all the ingredients. To adjust seasonings, take 1 tablespoon of filling, form a "meat ball" and drop into a pot of boiling water. Cook for one minute, remove meatball and taste for flavor. Adjust seasonings accordingly, adding more salt, for example, if desired. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
To wrap:
Use ready-made wrappers or homemade skins described above.
To cook:
Cooking instructions for boiled and pan-fried dumplings are the same as above.
Yield: Approximately 80.
Jennifer Lee of Mt. Lebanon
Sunday, April 09, 2000
