What’s the next best thing to eating pan-fried dumplings at my cooking school Black Sesame Kitchen? Making them at home with my family, of course!
Since I became a chef in Beijing, I ditched those frozen wrappers from the supermarket and started making my own dumpling skins — which are a lot easier than you think to make, and way, way tastier than the lifeless frozen variety. Get your kids/partner/or a far-flung friend or family member involved (over Zoom!) and it goes by a lot faster than you think. It’s a fun project with friends and family. But it can also be a worthwhile solo endeavor. I find it quite meditative if I’m just rolling out wrappers on my own.
I’m not going to judge if you use those abhorrent frozen wrappers - your dumpling filling will still be just as delicious. These days, it’s often just important to get something novel and tasty on your dinner table.
I’m holding a live stream class Friday June 12 at 5:30pm ET from my temporary quarantine house in Alexandria, VA and I hope you can join us. Click here for more info. Meanwhile, for those who want to have a go on their own, see my recipe.