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Sometimes you don’t want a plate consisting of one meal, one story. You want many tiny little meals, many tiny little stories. Each mouthful the beginning, middle and end. Dumplings are the perfect meal to cook and eat with friends. Every person gets a turn at folding the wrappers and comparing to see who is The Worst. It’s a conversation topic. Then, after some healthy negging, you can eat these tender babies over some beer and a leisurely hour. Some of our most sentimental flatting memories involve a plate of hot dumplings and good company. I hope you like them as much as we do.

Ingredients:

1. 500g pork mince (you can also buy a pork steak, which is sometimes cheaper and chop it up finely yourself)
2. 2 stalks finely sliced scallion (green onion, if you will)
3. Dumpling wrappers (Buy them in the frozen section at the supermarket)
4. Minced or fresh ginger AND garlic
5. Half a finely diced onion
6. Sesame oil
7. Soy sauce
8. Chilli flakes
9. Rice vinegar

Method:

Dipping sauce

Start with a small bowl of soy sauce, add sesame oil and rice vinegar to taste. Add finely sliced scallion and chilli flakes.

Dumplings

1. Make sure your dumpling wrappers are thawed before beginning. If you are cooking from frozen, place them in a bowl of hot water while you prepare the filling.
2. Finely slice the entire length of the scallions. Slice diagonally instead of straight up crosswise. It looks better and that’s all I care about. The first bite is with the eyes babe.
3. Mix together pork mince, scallions, onion, ginger and garlic in a bowl. Add in a splash of soy sauce and sesame oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, too.
4. Peel off the dumpling wrappers from their stack.
5. With a bowl of water nearby, begin to make the dumplings.
6. First, dip your finger in the water and wet around the edge of half the wrapper. Place a small teaspoon of filling in the centre (you need less than you think, too much filling is bad for the structural integrity of the dumpling. To live moderately is to live well.) Fold the dumpling how you please. You can learn the fun, proper folding to flex on everyone and make an activity of it, or you can do the classic fold over. Up to you. Just make sure that the edge is sealed and there’s no air in there.
7. Once all the dumplings are made, it’s time to fry. Heat up oil in a large saucepan.
8. Fry the dumplings on one side until crispy and brown. Add a shot of water and place the lid - allg if the pan doesn’t have a lid, just use a baking tray.
9. Allow the dumplings to steam through - they’re ready when the wrapper is translucent.
10. Serve with dipping sauce.