Pork and Spinach Dumplings

Description

There is something special about getting lost in a repetitive act, and that’s the beauty of making homemade dumplings, in addition to how delicious the outcome is, of course. You’ll start by making an easy filling that is savory and salty in the best way by mixing ground pork with spinach, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and aromatics like ginger, garlic, and scallions. Then the fun begins, assembling the dumplings one by one and daintily folding and pleating to seal. The pleats get better as you go, but if you’d rather seal with the tines of a fork or just pinch the wrappers together, that works too. This pork and spinach dumplings recipe is also a great opportunity to gather a few loved ones in the kitchen to help. And don’t miss out on the dipping sauce; the vinegar strikes an ideal balance with the umami of the filling.

Ingredients

1 5-oz. package baby spinach

1 lb. ground pork

4 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp. oyster sauce

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)

2 tsp. grated or very finely minced garlic (from 3 cloves)

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 large egg

1 16-oz. pkg. round wheat dumpling wrappers or 12-oz. pkg. wonton wrappers, defrosted if frozen

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions (from 2 large scallions, plus more for serving)

 

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tsp. granulated sugar

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch piece)

1/2 tsp. grated or very finely minced garlic (from 1 clove)

 

Directions

Step 1

Make the dumplings: Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add spinach; cook, stirring, until bright green and wilted, about 45 seconds. Drain spinach and let cool for 10 minutes. Squeeze spinach firmly over sink to remove as much liquid as possible. Coarsely chop.

Step 2

Combine pork, sesame oil, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic, salt, and egg in a large bowl. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix until thoroughly blended and a bit sticky, about 1 minute. Add scallions and chopped spinach; stir to combine.

Step 3

Working with 1 wrapper at a time, place a scant tablespoon of filling in center of wrapper and spread slightly. Holding wrapper flat in your hand, use your fingertip to lightly wet edges with water; fold wrapper in half, pressing out air as you seal dumpling. Place dumpling on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. (Dumplings can be made ahead up to this point and placed in freezer. When dumplings are frozen, transfer to freezer bags. Cook dumplings directly from frozen.)

Step 4

Make the dipping sauce: Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl until combined.

Step 5

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add neutral oil and swirl to coat. Working in batches and adding more oil if needed, add dumplings to skillet in a single layer, flat sides down. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to skillet and immediately cover. Steam dumplings over medium, shaking skillet occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking, until water has almost evaporated and dumpling skins are translucent, about 6 minutes. Uncover and cook until water has evaporated fully and dumplings are crisp on bottom, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with dipping sauce.

 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

347
Calories
17g
Fat
27g
Carbs
21g
Protein