DIY Dumplings!

Everyone loves dumplings. Steamed, boiled, pan fried; I want them all. So when I needed to throw a going away party for myself, I thought, what could possibly be better than a dumpling making pow wow? All you have to do is prep the filling the night before, and when the party commences and the dumplings are wrapped, someone always jumps in to help do the cooking. Quick prep time, hands on fun, and great party food.

Napa cabbage shiitake mushroom pork dumplings (serves 6-8)
60 circular Shanghai style dumpling wrappers
4 cups napa cabbage, diced
2 cups shiitake mushroom, diced
1 egg, beaten
1/2 lb ground pork

pork marinade:
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs dark soy sauce
1/3 cup shaoxing rice wine
1/4 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sesame oil

1. Prepare the marinade and marinate pork for at least an hour or prepare the night before.
2. When ready to make dumplings, mix together ground pork, napa cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl.
3. Fill each individual dumpling wrapper with about 1 tbs of filling.
4. Line half the circumference of each wrapper with a smear of egg and seal the wrapper. Be sure that the dumpling is not overstuffed, otherwise it will burst when cooking.
5. Either boil until it floats in water or pan fry with canola oil until golden brown.

If you need some sauce, check out my shallot sesame dipping sauce.