Zhong Dumplings

Ingredients

• 300g plain flour
• 150ml cold water
• 1/2 tsp salt, for the dough
• 350g minced pork, roughly 30 percent fat
• 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
• 1 egg
• 1.5 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp salt, for the filling
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 80ml cold chicken stock
• 6 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 star anise
• 1 small piece cassia bark
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 slices ginger, for the sauce
• 6 tbsp Sichuan chilli oil with sediment
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Before you cook

• Mix the flour, half teaspoon of salt and cold water into a firm dough, knead for eight minutes, then rest it covered for forty minutes
• Combine the pork with grated ginger, egg, Shaoxing wine, salt and white pepper
• Beat the cold stock into the pork a spoonful at a time until the filling is loose and juicy, then chill it
• Crush the garlic to a smooth paste with a pinch of salt

Steps

1. Put the dark soy sauce, brown sugar, star anise, cassia, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds and ginger slices into a small pan with four tablespoons of water.
2. Simmer the mixture very gently for eight minutes until it is glossy and just syrupy, then strain it and let it cool.
3. Roll the rested dough into a long rope and cut it into thirty-two equal pieces.
4. Roll each piece into a round wrapper about 8cm across, keeping the centre slightly thicker than the rim.
5. Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre of a wrapper.
6. Fold the wrapper into a half moon and pinch the curved edge tightly shut, pressing out any air.
7. Repeat with the remaining wrappers, keeping the finished dumplings under a cloth.
8. Bring a wide pan of water to the boil and slide in half the dumplings.
9. Cook them until they float and the wrappers turn translucent, about five minutes, adding a cup of cold water if the pan threatens to boil over.
10. Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon and drain them briefly.
11. Cook the second batch the same way.
12. Spoon two parts sweet soy sauce to one part chilli oil into each serving bowl, then stir in a little garlic paste.
13. Pile the hot dumplings into the bowls, spoon more chilli oil over the top, and finish with sesame seeds.