Dumpling Bonanza! Shanghai Pork & Prawn and Chive Dumplings

Now I am as Italian as they come, but if someone was to offer me a plate of pasta or a bamboo steamer of dumplings, I'd choose the dumplings every time, hands down. 

I first became a lover of the dumpling years ago in my beloved home town of Melbourne in "Chinatown". They are a cheap and delicious treat and your opportunities for Yum Cha and Dumplings are endless in Chinatown. We're really spoiled for choice in terms of our Asian cuisine in Melbourne. I've now been living in the UK for almost a year now and I have been so disappointed with the scarce number of Yum Cha/ Dim Sum restaurants, so on Saturday after much Googling, we found an Asian grocer about 20 minutes away and thought we might have a go at making some dumplings at home. 

Chinatown Melbourne, image from madlyjuicy.com

Now I must confess I did not make my own dumpling pastry as making pastry is the one thing I HATE to do in the kitchen. We did manage to buy some square wonton wrappers and some round dumpling pastry. I turned to my favourite foodie blogger Not Quite Nigella for the Shanghai Dumpling recipe and to Super Food Ideas for the Prawn & Chive Dumplings, both equally delicious! 

Shanghai Dumplings (Pork & Prawn)

Yield: approx 50 dumplings

450 grams minced (ground) pork

125 grams prawns (shrimp) shelled and finely chopped

3 stalks of green onion finely minced

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

2 teaspoons of salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Method

1. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix together using hands or a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Prawn and Chive Dumplings

Yield: approx 30 dumplings

600g green king prawns, peeled and deveined

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon ginger

Method

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds, you don't want the mixture to be a paste so you still should have some prawn chunks.

(Please see wrapping/ assembly instructions below for both types of dumplings)

Wrapping/Assembly for both dumplings

1. Fill the pastry disc with a ball of filling and wet the edges with water. Pinch and pleat the edges together on top of the dumpling to make a parcel and ensure they have been firmly sealed. Or similarly you can make crescent shaped dumplings as well by placing the filling on one side and pinching and pleating around one side.

2. Steam in a bamboo steamer over a wok for around 12-15 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Leave dumplings in steamer hen serving so the pastry doesn't go hard.

4. Serve with soy sauce.

Prawns for the Shanghai Dumplings

Shanghai Dumpling filling

Prawn and Chive filling

Prawn and Chive filling

Best Ever Scones

I love scones. I love the simplicity. I love a good Devonshire Tea and what I really LOVE is a good scone recipe. We all have our favourite scone recipes, maybe even ones that have been passed down from generation to generation, well not mine. Mine is actually from Super Food Ideas and ever since I found this gem, I've been making them ever since. The beauty of them is, that there are only four ingredients... just four. They are quick, easy and tasty and this recipe is a great classic to have in the recipe book.

Ingredients 

3 cups self-raising flour
pinch of salt
1 cup of double cream
1 cup of lemonade or sprite for you Americans

Method

Yield- 24 small or 12 large scones

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in cream and lemonade.

2. Mix with a knife or with an electric mixer with the dough hook until mixture has come together.

3. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and kneed until smooth, being careful not to over-kneed.

4. Cut with a scone cutter or even cut with a knife in squares, whatever takes your fancy. I normally keep my dough at about an inch thick, because I like big scones, but this is completely up to you. 

5. Bake for around 10-15 minutes or until golden, again this will vary on the size of your scones. Best served with jam and freshly whipped cream!

Happy Baking xxx