Put pork skin (from belly or hock)(300 g) in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to boil and cook 5 minutes. Drain, rinse the skin — this removes scum and smell. Cut skin into 1 cm strips. Return to pot with chicken wings(400 g), sliced fresh ginger (for broth)(30 g), spring onion (for broth)(2 szt) and soy sauce (for broth)(1 łyżka). Add 1.5 l water. Simmer covered for 3 hours. Liquid should barely bubble.
Tip
Pork skin is the key — it releases collagen that turns the broth into jelly when chilled. This jelly melts inside the dumpling and becomes the soup. Without skin it won't work.
Step 02 of 07
Chill the jelly
Strain broth through a sieve into a flat container. Should yield 400-500 ml. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. The jelly must be fully set — poke it, it should resist.
Step 03 of 07
Dough
300 g
160 ml
Put wheat flour (all-purpose)(300 g) in a bowl. Pour in boiling water(160 ml) in a thin stream while mixing with chopsticks or a wooden spoon. Once cool enough to touch, knead by hand for 10 minutes into a smooth, elastic ball. Wrap in plastic, rest 30 minutes.
Tip
Boiling water (not warm) partially denatures the gluten — this makes the dough soft and easy to roll thin without tearing when pleating.
Step 04 of 07
Filling
400 g
15 g
2 szt
2 łyżka
1 łyżka
1 łyżeczka
1 łyżeczka
Grate fresh ginger (for filling)(15 g) finely. Finely chop spring onion (for filling)(2 szt). Take the jelly from fridge and cut into 0.5 cm cubes. Mix minced pork (shoulder)(400 g) with ginger, scallion, soy sauce (for filling)(2 łyżka), sesame oil(1 łyżka), sugar(1 łyżeczka) and salt(1 łyżeczka). Stir vigorously by hand or spoon for 3 minutes in one direction until sticky and tacky. Fold in the jelly cubes gently — they must stay whole.
Tip
Stirring in one direction releases proteins from the meat and binds the filling. Otherwise it falls apart during steaming and the soup leaks.
Step 05 of 07
Roll and pleat
300 g
Divide dough into 4. Roll each into a 2 cm rope and cut into 10 g pieces (should yield 24-28 dumplings). Flatten each piece with your palm. Roll from edge to center, rotating, so edges are thin and center is thicker — 8 cm diameter. Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle. Hold the wrapper in one hand, with the other make pleats along the edge, sealing them in the center — aim for 12-18 pleats. Twist shut at the top.
Tip
Thinner edge + thicker base = the dumpling won't tear from the weight of the soup during steaming.
Step 06 of 07
Steam
Line steamer with perforated parchment (or cabbage leaves, so dumplings don't stick). Arrange dumplings 2 cm apart — they expand. Bring water under the steamer to a strong boil before placing the dumplings in. Steam covered for 9 minutes.
Warning
Don't place dumplings over cold water — the jelly will melt before the dough sets and the filling will leak. Steam must be ready from the start.
Step 07 of 07
Dip and serve
4 łyżka
20 g
Cut fresh ginger (for dip)(20 g) into matchstick-thin strips. Mix with rice vinegar (for dip)(4 łyżka) in a small dish. Serve dumplings straight from the steamer. Bite carefully on the side, sip the soup, then eat the dumpling with the dip.
Tip
A freshly steamed dumpling is full of boiling soup. First bite must be small or you'll burn your mouth.
Bon appétit
How did it turn out?
Enjoy — now it's a matter of patience and a good table.
