The Sichuan chicken dumplings is a Sichuan cooking is famed for its spiciness. Among the ingredients used to achieve this are Sichuan peppercorns. Although called pepper, they are actually dried berries from the flowering shrub called fagara. Sichuan pepper should be a mid red-brown and has a sharp lemony taste which causes a slight numbing to the tongue.
Makes 30 dumplings
Ingredients:
8oz (225g) fresh spinach, stemmed
1⁄2 teaspoon ground Sichuan
peppercorns (see note)
1⁄2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
11⁄2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
10oz (300g) ground chicken
1 egg, lightly beaten
13⁄4in (4cm) piece of fresh ginger,
finely chopped
2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
30 square wonton wrappers
For the hot sauce
1 garlic clove
1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chile oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 scallions, finely sliced
Method:
1. To make the hot sauce, use a mortar and pestle to crush the garlic and sugar to a smooth paste. Mix with the remaining ingredients. Set aside. Rinse the spinach in cold water two or three times. Leave to drain in a colander, shaking to remove any excess water. Mix together the Sichuan and ground white pepper in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Stir-fry the spinach and bean sprouts until wilted. Season with some of the salt and mixed ground peppers. Remove from the heat; let cool. Stir together the chicken with the egg, ginger, rice wine, and remaining salt and mixed ground pepper. Drain the spinach and bean sprouts, turn out onto a board, and coarsely chop. Combine with the chicken mixture. Fry a little mixture to taste; adjust the seasoning if necessary.
3. Lay out six wonton wrappers at a time on a clean work surface. Put a heaping teaspoonful of chicken mixture onto one half of each wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrappers with a little water. Fold over on a diagonal, and press the edges together. Squeeze the excess air out, away from the dumpling filling.
4. The wontons will be triangular, with the round filling on the inside. Wet your finger and thumb, and press two of the triangle points together; hold for a few seconds until they stick. You will now have a shape that is like a tortellini. Repeat until all the wonton wrappers are used.
5. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the dumplings and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Drain with a slotted spoon, put into serving bowls, and spoon over the sauce. Serve at once.
Note Before grinding, roast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
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| Sichuan chicken dumplings Recipe |
