Uni Shrimp Dumplings
Growing up, my mother's homemade dumplings were a treasured meal that the entire family looked forward to. She could fold them as fast as any master dumpling chef, her fingers a blur of flour as she rolled, pressed, and pleated. As children, we'd lurk by her side, sometimes sneaking small scraps of dough to squish into amorphous blobs that we'd then insist on tossing into the pot alongside her far more picturesque creations. We would wait like hungry puppies with salivating mouths, until the momentous minute the ladle plunged into the boiling waters, breaching to bear aloft glistening plump parcels with great wafts of fragrant steam.
Although I did eventually learn how to properly fold dumplings, to this day my mother's are still the best I've ever eaten - each pleat infused with her love and care.
These seafood dumplings get a deluxe twist with the addition of luscious morsels of uni, elevating an already special dish into something truly grand. Gather together with a loved one, or even the entire family, and savour every minute in the creation of a traditional Asian dish enhanced with fresh Quebecois seafood.
Uni shrimp dumplings
2-3 servings
Ingredients:
150g fresh uni
2 cups raw shrimp
1 pack fresh dumpling wrappers (circular)
1 can water chestnuts (8 oz)
2 tbsp finely minced scallions (greens only)
1 egg
Salt to taste
Optional: oil for pan-frying
Steps:
Chop shrimp roughly and add half to food processor. Process until a paste forms.
Add the egg, 50g fresh uni, and minced scallions and process until well mixed.
Dice the water chestnuts finely and add into mixture. Add the remainder of the chopped shrimp and mix until combined.
Season mixture with salt to taste1
Freeze dumpling filling for 10-20 minutes until mixture is semi-frozen and thickened.
Make dumplings one by one: place about ½ tbsp filling in the centre of a wrapper, and add 1-2 pieces of fresh uni. Moisten one inner edge of the wrapper by dipping a finger into a small bowl of water and running it along the edge (this helps the wrapper to seal properly). Fold the wrapper, forming small pleats along one side to create an elegant crescent shape. Place folded dumplings on a floured baking tray, stored in the fridge until ready to be cooked.
Prepare steamer and brush steamer tray with oil or line with napa cabbage leaves. Add dumplings, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Steam dumplings for about 8 minutes or until cooked through.
Alternatively, you can steam-fry these dumplings. Coat the bottom of a non-stick pan with a neutral oil, and heat on medium high. Add in the dumplings and cook bottoms until golden and crispy. Add in a ¼ inch of water and quickly cover (careful, water will quickly form steam!). Allow dumplings to steam until water has completely evaporated.
Serve alone or with a ponzu dipping sauce.
Tip: you can microwave a small bit of filling until cooked through and taste to check seasoning.