Life of the party

Money Bag Dumplings

ACTIVE 1 HR. 15 MIN. TOTAL 3 HR. 15 MIN., INCLUDING SOAKING MAKES 16 DUMPLINGS

2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked overnight or in hot water at least 2 hr. until rehydrated (save soaking water for another use), about 8 medium 3 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 tsp finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (from about a ¾-in. piece) ½ cup finely chopped carrot (about 1 medium carrot) 1 cup finely chopped bamboo shoots (about 4 oz) 2 tsp Shaoxing wine or dry cooking sherry 4 tsp soy sauce 2 tsp vegetarian oyster sauce or regular oyster sauce 2 Tbsp finely chopped scallion greens (from 2 scallions) 16 cilantro stems, each about 5 in. long 16 Hong Kong–style yellow dumpling wrappers

Sarah prepares ingredients. Kaitlin and mom Judy.

“ I grew up watching my grandma put so much care into wrapping dumplings for our celebration, and I love keeping this tradition alive with my family.”

1 Squeeze excess water from mushrooms and trim away any tough stems. Finely chop and set aside. 2 Heat wok on mediumlow. Add oil, then ginger and carrot, and cook 1 min. Add mushrooms and bamboo shoots, increase heat to medium, and stir-fry 2 to 3 min., until vegetables are softened. 3 Add Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and vegetarian oyster sauce. Stir to combine and cook until mushrooms are tender and liquid is absorbed, 4 to 5 min. Stir in scallions, then transfer to plate to cool completely. 4 Meanwhile, make ties for money bags: Bring medium pot of water to a boil and fill medium bowl with ice water. Add cilantro stems and blanch 5 to 10 sec., then drain and add to ice water to stop cooking process. Drain and gently squeeze dry, being careful to keep stems intact. 5 Open pkg. of dumpling wrappers and cover with damp towel to make sure they don’t dry out. With rolling pin, roll each to about 4-in. diameter. Add generous Tbsp filling to middle, being sure there’s enough slack to close dumplings. 6 Gently close wrapper over filling, pinching bundle together but leaving top of bag fanned out. Use one of the cilantro “strings” to tie it closed. Repeat until all filling is used. 7 Line bamboo steamer with parchment, cabbage leaves, or cheesecloth to prevent dumplings from sticking. Arrange dumplings in steamer, about 1 in. apart. 8 Set steamer in clean wok filled with enough boiling water to come ½ in. up sides of steamer. Cover and steam 3 min.

T I P The filling can be made in advance, but the dumplings should be steamed right after assembly, as the wrappers are extremely delicate and may rip open if the assembled dumplings are allowed to sit too long.

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medium

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