San Xian Shui Jiao (Northern Chinese–Style Pork, Shrimp, and Chive Dumplings)
By Kelly SongPublished on December 19, 2024
Time
1¾ hours, plus 1½ hours resting
Yield
Makes 48 dumplings
Ingredients
Dough
3 cups (15 ounces/425 grams) all-purpose flour 1 cup water, room temperatureFilling
4 large eggs, divided¾ teaspoon table salt, divided2 tablespoons vegetable oil 8 ounces ground pork 2 tablespoons lard 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce ½ teaspoon white pepper ¼ cup chicken broth 8 ounces fresh Chinese chives, chopped (2½ cups)6 ounces peeled, deveined large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), tails removed and chopped fineBefore You Begin
We strongly recommend weighing the flour for the dough to ensure the best texture. You can substitute 48 store-bought dumpling wrappers for the homemade wrappers. Look for round, white (not egg-based or wonton) Chinese wheat wrappers; don't overfill the wrappers; thoroughly moisten the edges with water; and pinch tightly to seal. Chinese chives (also called garlic chives or jiu cai) have long, flat leaves and can be found at most Asian grocery stores. You can substitute 2½ cups minced scallions (16 to 24 scallions, depending on their size, or about 8 ounces) for the Chinese chives (the flavor will be milder), but do not substitute regular chives or chive stems (which have flower buds). It is important to use untreated shrimp—those without added sodium or preservatives such as sodium tripolyphosphate. The dumplings are best served with Chinkiang black vinegar, as is often enjoyed in Northern China, or our Chili Crisp Dumpling Sauce.
Instructions
- Place flour in food processor. With processor running, add room-temperature water and process until dough forms ball and clears sides of bowl, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer dough to counter and knead until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours. (Tightly wrapped dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; return dough to room temperature before shaping.)
- Beat 3 eggs and ¼ teaspoon salt in small bowl until no streaks of white remain. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add egg mixture and, using silicone spatula, scrape constantly and firmly along bottom of skillet until eggs are fully set and dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer eggs to clean bowl and break into small (roughly ¼-inch) pieces; let cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Combine pork and lard in large bowl and, using fork, mash lard into pork until evenly incorporated. Add sesame oil, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, dark soy sauce, white pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and, using chopsticks or wooden spoon, vigorously stir pork mixture in circular motion until mixture is sticky and begins to pull away from sides of bowl, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in remaining (raw) egg. Continue to vigorously stir in circular motion while slowly streaming in broth until fully incorporated. Fold in chives, shrimp, and cooked eggs. Cover filling with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before using.
- Unwrap dough and transfer to counter. Cut dough into 4 quarters. Working with 1 dough quarter at a time (keeping remaining quarters loosely covered with plastic), roll dough quarter into 12-inch cylinder, lightly flouring counter as needed. Slice cylinder crosswise into twelve 1-inch pieces (about ½ ounce each). Using palms of your hands, roll each piece into rough ball, then press each ball into 2-inch disk; cover with plastic.
- Using small rolling pin, gently roll and press each disk into 3¼-inch round wrapper (they needn’t be perfectly round). Collect wrappers in single layer (without overlapping) on lightly floured counter; cover with plastic.
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and dust lightly with flour; set aside. Working with 1 wrapper at a time (keeping remaining wrappers covered), place wrapper in palm of your nondominant hand. Spoon scant 1 tablespoon filling onto center of wrapper, then lift opposite sides of wrapper and pinch together to form small seam in center. Using your index fingers and thumbs, gently form 2 pleats along first open side, pressing gently to seal; repeat pleating and sealing on second open side. Arrange dumplings in single layer on prepared sheets.
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot over high heat. Add 24 dumplings, a few at a time, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Return water to boil; boil dumplings for 15 seconds. Add 1 cup cold water, return water to boil, and boil dumplings 15 seconds longer. Repeat adding water and boiling for 15 seconds once or twice more, until dumpling dough is fully tender and filling is cooked through (entire process should take 5 to 8 minutes). Using slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer dumplings to serving platter.
- Return water to boil and repeat boiling process with remaining dumplings. Serve dumplings hot.TO MAKE AHEAD: Freeze uncooked dumplings on baking sheets until solid. Transfer to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Cook dumplings from frozen, increasing cooking time as needed until dough is fully tender and filling is cooked through.
for the dough
for the filling
to roll wrappers
to fill dumplings
to boil dumplings
San Xian Shui Jiao (Northern Chinese–Style Pork, Shrimp, and Chive Dumplings)
Time
1¾ hours, plus 1½ hours restingYield
Makes 48 dumplingsIngredients
Dough
Filling
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Northern Chinese–style dumplings, also called “water dumplings” or “shui jiao,” are known for their thick, chewy, handmade wrappers. They are a staple of Chinese New Year, when families gather to roll fresh wrappers and make fillings. The “three fresh” (“san xian” in Mandarin) filling is one of the most popular in the region; a blend of ground pork, shrimp, and eggs creates a savory filling with a uniquely varied texture. To form a juicy, springy filling, we mixed ground pork and lard, which imitated the luxurious qualities of fattier pork found in China and in many Asian markets in the United States. We stirred the mixture vigorously to build sticky myosin proteins, which developed a cohesive “web” to trap flavor and moisture. Then, we folded in chopped Chinese chives (abundantly used in this filling) to provide bright, punchy pops of flavor, alongside the traditional seasonings of grated ginger, white pepper, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. A 3:1 ratio of all-purpose flour to tepid water created supple, smooth dough that remained firm, chewy, and simple to roll out. We filled and shaped the dumplings with an easy-to-grasp yet still traditional pleating method. Per their name, the dumplings were boiled in plain water; to prevent bursting, we followed the traditional method of adding small amounts of cold water to taper down rapid boiling, repeating the process until the dumplings were tender.
Before You Begin
We strongly recommend weighing the flour for the dough to ensure the best texture. You can substitute 48 store-bought dumpling wrappers for the homemade wrappers. Look for round, white (not egg-based or wonton) Chinese wheat wrappers; don't overfill the wrappers; thoroughly moisten the edges with water; and pinch tightly to seal. Chinese chives (also called garlic chives or jiu cai) have long, flat leaves and can be found at most Asian grocery stores. You can substitute 2½ cups minced scallions (16 to 24 scallions, depending on their size, or about 8 ounces) for the Chinese chives (the flavor will be milder), but do not substitute regular chives or chive stems (which have flower buds). It is important to use untreated shrimp—those without added sodium or preservatives such as sodium tripolyphosphate. The dumplings are best served with Chinkiang black vinegar, as is often enjoyed in Northern China, or our Chili Crisp Dumpling Sauce.
Instructions
- Place flour in food processor. With processor running, add room-temperature water and process until dough forms ball and clears sides of bowl, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer dough to counter and knead until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours. (Tightly wrapped dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; return dough to room temperature before shaping.)
- Beat 3 eggs and ¼ teaspoon salt in small bowl until no streaks of white remain. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add egg mixture and, using silicone spatula, scrape constantly and firmly along bottom of skillet until eggs are fully set and dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer eggs to clean bowl and break into small (roughly ¼-inch) pieces; let cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Combine pork and lard in large bowl and, using fork, mash lard into pork until evenly incorporated. Add sesame oil, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, dark soy sauce, white pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and, using chopsticks or wooden spoon, vigorously stir pork mixture in circular motion until mixture is sticky and begins to pull away from sides of bowl, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in remaining (raw) egg. Continue to vigorously stir in circular motion while slowly streaming in broth until fully incorporated. Fold in chives, shrimp, and cooked eggs. Cover filling with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before using.
- Unwrap dough and transfer to counter. Cut dough into 4 quarters. Working with 1 dough quarter at a time (keeping remaining quarters loosely covered with plastic), roll dough quarter into 12-inch cylinder, lightly flouring counter as needed. Slice cylinder crosswise into twelve 1-inch pieces (about ½ ounce each). Using palms of your hands, roll each piece into rough ball, then press each ball into 2-inch disk; cover with plastic.
- Using small rolling pin, gently roll and press each disk into 3¼-inch round wrapper (they needn’t be perfectly round). Collect wrappers in single layer (without overlapping) on lightly floured counter; cover with plastic.
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and dust lightly with flour; set aside. Working with 1 wrapper at a time (keeping remaining wrappers covered), place wrapper in palm of your nondominant hand. Spoon scant 1 tablespoon filling onto center of wrapper, then lift opposite sides of wrapper and pinch together to form small seam in center. Using your index fingers and thumbs, gently form 2 pleats along first open side, pressing gently to seal; repeat pleating and sealing on second open side. Arrange dumplings in single layer on prepared sheets.
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot over high heat. Add 24 dumplings, a few at a time, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Return water to boil; boil dumplings for 15 seconds. Add 1 cup cold water, return water to boil, and boil dumplings 15 seconds longer. Repeat adding water and boiling for 15 seconds once or twice more, until dumpling dough is fully tender and filling is cooked through (entire process should take 5 to 8 minutes). Using slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer dumplings to serving platter.
- Return water to boil and repeat boiling process with remaining dumplings. Serve dumplings hot.TO MAKE AHEAD: Freeze uncooked dumplings on baking sheets until solid. Transfer to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Cook dumplings from frozen, increasing cooking time as needed until dough is fully tender and filling is cooked through.
for the dough
for the filling
to roll wrappers
to fill dumplings
to boil dumplings
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