What possessed me to make dumplings from scratch last night? My back ached and there was flour and pork everywhere. In the end, though, they were delicious. But if you make these with storebought wrappers, I won't judge. I won't tell anyone. Heck, if you waited to go out for dim sum to eat these, I'd understand. But if you undertake this mission, recruit some helping hands and think of the light at the end of the tunnel.
So unlike the dumplings of Southern China that I'm used to, with their meat and seafood fillings, the shui jiao of the North tend to have vegetables. This recipe from the LA Times uses a pork and cabbage filling. I think a pork-and-shrimp filling will always be my favorite, but this was a welcome change of pace. The pork and cabbage are tender, the rice wine lends a hint of sweetness, and the ginger a little heat. It's my new recipe for the New Year.
