Hot Sour Soup and Dumplings
A new take on a Szechuan classic. Even better, it’s so easy to make but looks really complicated, so friends and family will be impressed.
Serves 6 (makes around 40 dumplings).
Ingredients
Dumplings
- 200 g beef mince
- 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Dumpling wrappers- available from any good Asian supermarket
Soup
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 thumb fresh ginger, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 stalk celery, sliced finely on the cross
- 1 red capsicum, sliced finely
- Handful mushrooms, e.g. Enoki, oyster or Shiitake
- 1 spring onion sliced finely, plus extra for garnish
Method
To make dumplings, mix mince, tamari and garlic well, then heat sesame oil and brown mixture gently. Set aside to cool once lightly cooked through.
Take a dumpling wrapper (covering the remainder so they do not dry out). Place a teaspoonful of beef mixture in the centre of each wrapper, fold up sides and crimp at top. Cover and set aside.
To make soup, throw everything except the vegetables into a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Taste. If you require a little more sweetness, add a touch more sugar. For more heat, add pepper or chilli sauce.
Just before you are ready to eat, add vegetables, simmer for around 10 minutes, then add dumplings. They’ll only take a few minutes to be ready. The wrappers turn clear when dumplings are cooked.
To Serve
Place a few dumplings in warm bowls and then spoon broth and vegetables over the dumplings. Garnish with a few finely sliced spring onions.
Photo: An extract from Minced with photography by Alan Gillard. Published by Penguin Group NZ. Copyright © Sue Hamilton and Dana Alexander, 2010.
Recipes from the cookbook Mince by Sue Hamilton and Dana Alexander
Published by Penguin Group NZ
Stephen Morris’s wine suggestion
Black Estate Riesling 2009 - Omihi, Canterbury. Just under $20. Lush but not heavy. Marmalade. Citrus but sweet.
Or Heemskerk Riesling 2007 - Tasmania. Lime and dry, but with guava, mango and citrus. So good! Imported into NZ by Fosters NZ, but I don't have a local supplier as such. Ask for any good Australian dry Riesling. $20 is good, spend $35 and get very good.