Don't be intimidated, making delicious dumplings at home is so much easier than you think - and incredibly satisfying.

Recipe and Styling Natalie Homan | Photograph Brendan Homan

Pork & shiitake dumplings with pickled mixed mushrooms
makes 40 dumplings

40 dumpling skins
1 cup shredded wombok
250g coarse pork mince
½ tsp table salt
200g fresh shiitake mushrooms
½ golden shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1 egg

for pickled mushroom
250g mixed mushrooms (eg. enoki, shimeji)
½ shallot, sliced
200ml rice wine vinegar
100g caster sugar
1 tsp salt
125ml water

to serve
fried shallots
toasted sesame seeds
soy sauce
chilli oil

For the pickled mushrooms, place the vinegar, sugar, salt and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Place the mushrooms and shallots in a shallow container and pour over the hot pickling liquid. Set aside to cool. The pickle will be ready to use in half an hour.

Toss the salt through the shredded wombok and place in a sieve sitting over a bowl. After 15 minutes, squeeze out the excess moisture and place in the bowl of an electric mixer with the pork mince and remaining dumpling ingredients. Mix with the paddle attachment for 5 minutes (or mix vigorously in a large bowl with a wooden spoon). 

Place 4 dumpling skins on a workbench, ensuring the remaining skins are covered with clingfilm. Place a heaped teaspoon of the pork mixture in the centre of the skin and moisten the edge with a finger dipped in water. Fold in half and seal to form a simple half-moon shape or seal with 6 pleats. Place dumplings on a tray and refrigerate until cooking.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add half the dumplings, bring back to the boil and add a cup of cold water. Bring back to the boil and turn down to a gentle simmer immediately. Cook dumplings for 6 minutes. Allow to drain on a wire rack whilst cooking the remaining dumplings.

Serve dumplings drizzled with soy and chilli oil and topped with fried shallot, toasted sesame and the pickled mushrooms.

 

This recipe first appeared in the May 2020 issue of SALIFE magazine.