Lamb Jiaozi

[Fengyi]

I mentioned lamb jiaozi in a previous wine thread, and thought that a lot of people might not have eaten it because it is a rather Northern style dumpling and one that I've not seen in your average restaurant.... so, in case you're interested, I made some a few days ago and tried to remember what to do....(please forgive me for my terrible recipe-style, I'm not good at this like hzrt8w!!!).

Filling

500g minced lamb

2 grated carrots

1 and 1/2 bunches of spring onion (scallion) -minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

about 1.5 T dark soya sauce

splash of light soya sauce

Good dollop of seasame oil - you want to be able to smell it!

Lots and lots of pepper - I used white.

sprinkle of salt

If your lamb is lean, add a Tablespoon or so of vegetable oil.

a couple T of stock (if you have it).

mix everything together - the crucial thing here is to stir the mixture *well* and *in one direction only*. I cheat and use a food processor (for about 1 minute of processing). Stirring for about 1/2 hour produces a nice texture. The more stirring, the better the filling - it should change colour and become lighter.

Wrappers

mix flour (about 600g for this amount of stuffing) with cold water -only add enough to make a *stiff* dough. Maybe 300ml?!?! I do it by feel.

Knead it VERY well -rest for 30 minutes.

Or just buy them - but this filling works EVER so much better with the thicker home-made type.

Roll wrappers (if needed), make jiaozi - this filling can also make good hezi (盒子). and boil for three "goes" (i.e. up to the boil, throw in water twice and then take out on the next boil).

Eat with vinegar, soya sauce, chopped garlic and chile oil and with tremendous greed

Edited October 24, 2005 by Fengyi (log)

[Tepee]

Thanks, Fengyi, for the recipe. It sounds so good; must try it as soon as I can.

[hzrt8w]

mix everything together  - the crucial thing here is to stir the mixture *well* and *in one direction only*. I cheat and use a food processor (for about 1 minute of processing). Stirring for about 1/2 hour produces a nice texture. The more stirring, the better the filling - it should change colour and become lighter.

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Thanks for the wonderful recipe, Fengyi!

Making classical recipe we may be, but I would adopt the modern technology (i.e. food processor) to save time: 30 to 1! Wow!

When you eat jiaozi, do you just eat it without any broth?

Also: what is the purpose behind the three "goes"? This is the first time I heard of this technique. Fascinating!

Edited October 24, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[pcbilly]

I mentioned lamb jiaozi in a previous wine thread, and thought that a lot of people might not have eaten it because it is a rather Northern style dumpling and one that I've not seen in your average restaurant.... so, in case you're interested, I made some a few days ago and tried to remember what to do....(please forgive me for my terrible recipe-style, I'm not good at this like hzrt8w!!!).

Filling

500g minced lamb

2 grated carrots ...............

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Fengyi:

Wonderful recipe, I love jiaozi and this Northern one looks like a winner.

I am surprise to see carrot here though, is it added for sweetness, texture or color?

Just curious.

Thanks

William

[jo-mel]

hzrt - I never heard the term "goes" before, but cooking the dumplings that way is supposed to help keep the dumpling skins intact, and not be split by the force of boiling water. By adding the cold water, it stops the boiling, but by the third boil, the dumpling filling will be cooked.

Edited October 25, 2005 by jo-mel (log)

[Shalmanese]

Mmm... we made jiaozi last week. It was pork though with a very odd vegtable which we've saw served once in China. It's green, round and smooth. When grated, it's crisp and crunchy in texture although pliable. I don't know the english name.

Other favourites are beef & celery and pork & pickled cabbage.

The 3 goes thing, apart from stopping the skins from bursting is a traditional way of timing before the invention of stopwatches. Every family in china would have the jiao zie pot and the jiao zie water cup. Since you cook roughly the same amount of jiao zie in roughly the same amount of water over roughly the same flame every time, by continually refining the amount of water in the water cup, you could have the jiao zie come out perfectly done.

[Fengyi]

Making classical recipe we may be, but I would adopt the modern technology (i.e. food processor) to save time: 30 to 1!  Wow! 

When you eat jiaozi, do you just eat it without any broth?

Also: what is the purpose behind the three "goes"?  This is the first time I heard of this technique.  Fascinating!

←

Yeah- the food processor makes it a lot easier to whip up some jiaozi when you are really craving it (we can't really get frozen ones where we live)!

It's invaluable for making the dough for the wrappers too!

As jo-mel said, it's bringing it up to the boil and dowsing it with a cup of cold water...I'm sure there's a technical term for it somewhere, but my mum would just say 'one go.........two goes....three! and they're out!'

I never eat jiaozi with the broth - just take them out with a slotted spoon. My mum always told me one should drink a bowl of the jiaozi 'water' afterwards for 'digestive purposes', but I've never done that (glue water...ick!) and have lived to tell the tale....

[...] I am surprise to see carrot here though, is it added for sweetness, texture or color?

Just curious.

Thanks

William

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It's for sweetness and texture (though if you use the food processor, you kind of lose the texture...oh well...win some, lose some). Somehow, it's really quite good with the lamb - encouraging the sweetness of them both, I would guess...

Glad you like the recipe!

BTW- Shalmanese...beef and celery...yyyuuummmm! Haven't had that in years! Have you tried beef and water chestnut and green onion? That's got the same nice texture-y thing going.

I wonder what vegetable you were using for the pork? Could it be 'green radish' (青蘿蔔)? but that's not round.... Was it like kohlrabi?

[anzu]

Shalmanese,

Here's a picture of kohlrabi. Was it this vegetable?

These lamb jiaozi sound so good. The last time I made them with lamb was 1988 (!) when I was making them with some people who kept kosher. Considering how good they taste, I should definitely be making them more often than this. Thanks, Fengyi, for reminding me of them!

[Shalmanese]

Yes, it looked very much like kohlrabe. BTW: The technical term would be quenching.

[jo-mel]

Yes, it looked very much like kohlrabe. BTW: The technical term would be quenching.

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That is fascinating! Using the water amount, and boiling point as a timer! Do you happen to know the chinese term for it?

[helenjp]

It's the same way that noodles are boiled in Japan.

I'm very interested to try this recipe, because it's similar and yet different to Afghan "mantu" steamed lamb dumplings, and probably similar to Mongolian lamb dumplings too! Coriander and chinese chives in the Afghan version: carrots and spring onions in your version...gotta try it!