Hong Kong Confidential: A program about food and food culture (with a cook-along) in Asia’s World City

Join Thornhill Lifelong Learning as we explore food shopping in Hong Kong followed by a hands-on lesson in making dumplings and dipping sauces. Our tour guide and cook is Virginia Chan, originally from Vancouver, now living in Hong Kong.


Date: Thursday, March 3, 2022

Time: 1:00-2:30 p.m

Cost: $0 - we are delighted to offer this event as a complimentary session


The experience

The session begins with a trip to local markets to buy the ingredients for the cook-along. We will learn about the various types of stores the locals use and will gain insights into the shopping habits and the cultural norms of everyday life for middle-class Hong Kongers as well as those who work in the food trade or as domestic helpers. 

We will then broadcast from Virginia’s home kitchen and learn to make chicken dumplings, how to wrap the dumplings for pan frying and perfect the failproof method for creating crispy bottoms. She will finish by showing easy, delicious dipping sauces as she explains when and how to use different vinegars and types of soy sauces.

Recipe for Chicken Dumplings

by Virginia Chan

Ingredients

  • 36 dumpling skins (If possible, pick the round ones as they are the ones used for making dumplings. If you have a choice between the thick and thin skins; pick the thick ones as they're used for pan frying and the thin ones are used for boiling. The square ones are usually for wrapping wontons but can be used if you can't find the round ones. If you're feeling homemade, you can use this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021845-homemade-dumpling-wrappers).

  • 300 grams/11 ounces/0.69 pounds of ground chicken (dark meat ground chicken is great if you can find it; otherwise, chicken thigh/drumstick minced with the bigger tenders cut out works great. Ground chicken breast is a healthier option to be used; however, as it is very lean, it will be less juicy and flavourful.)

  • 150 - 250 grams of Napa cabbage (I prefer more veggie in mine, so you can adjust to your preference)

  • 3-4 grams/ 1 1/2-2 tsp fresh grated/minced ginger (or around 1/4 tsp ginger powder)

  • 2 cloves fresh grated/minced garlic, about 2 teaspoons

  • 1/8 tsp white pepper

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

  • 1/4 tsp wine

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • drizzle sesame oil

Dipping Sauce

  • Soy sauce

  • Dark soy sauce

  • Black vinegar (or rice wine/rice vinegar)

  • Chili oil

  • Sesame oil

  • White pepper

  • Fried garlic flakes

DIRECTIONS:

 Make filling: 

- In a bowl, combine the ground chicken with all the sauces. Mix thoroughly in one direction until quite "gooey". Add in the cabbage and continue mixing. Add in 1-2 tbsps of water and/or an egg white if ingredients are not adhering together or looks dry.

Make dumplings:

Floured side on the outside.

  • Place approximately 1-2 tsp of chicken mixture in the middle of a round dumplings wrapper.

  • Dab water around the outer edge of wrapper

  • Fold the wrapper in half, enclosing the filling, and pinch closed.

  • Start at one end and bring the bottom into the middle. Pinch one edge together but seal the other edge down.

  • Repeat with the other side.

  • If you want to learn more ways to fold dumplings:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGzbJpLExDM (The English subtitles work great if you don't understand Mandarin)

 Pan Fry dumplings:

- Heat pan with about 2 tbsp of oil on medium high heat until hot

- Put in dumplings (flat bottoms down) and wait to hear the sizzle so you know the pan is hot

- Add in water. If fresh dumplings, have the water cover filled to half the height of the dumplings. If frozen dumplings, have the water filled to cover 2/3 of the height of the dumplings. 

- Put on the lid and wait for it to come to a boil. If you can turn it down to medium if your boil looks a bit too "fierce"

- When all the water has nearly evaporated, take off the lid, and turn the heat down to medium

- The dumplings are done at this point, continue frying until the bottoms are to the colour you want - golden brown. 

- Gently wiggle the dumplings, or shake the pan to loosen the dumplings for easier plating

Make dipping sauce

 Note: You can start the soy sauce and vinegar ratio at 2:1. I prefer 1:1 but you can see how much you like the tartness of the vinegar first.

 - 1 tbsp of soy sauce

- 1 tsp - 1/2 tbsp of black vinegar (Start here and add more to taste. I like a 1:1 soy to vinegar ratio.)

- drizzle of sesame oil

- 1/8 tsp of chili oil (start here and add more to taste)

 Make it fancy:

 - Crispy fried garlic bits

- Dash of white pepper

- Scallions for prettier presentation

- 1 tsp dark soy

- Minced garlic

-Serve along with dumplings. Enjoy!

Makes about 30 dumplings

Notes 

 - If you can't access the NYT dumpling skin recipe, here is an alternative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEEm2W5T5z8

About our host

Virginia Chan moved from her native Vancouver to Hong Kong in 2012 with the expressed goal of learning more about her Chinese heritage.  In 2016 she launched Humid with a Chance of Fishballs Tours, specializing in authentic and off-the-beaten path experiences, offering tourists and expats alike a taste and a glimpse of true local life in Hong Kong.

Virginia has been featured on Netflix’s Restaurants on the Edge, served as a cultural consultant for companies including Yau Beer (a Carlsberg beer brand), and as a guide for foodie YouTubers such as Mikey Chen from Strictly Dumpling.

When not tour guiding, Virginia conducts private Mah-jongg classes, and teaches people around the world about Hong Kong food through her YouTube channel, Humid with a Chance of Fishballs.