Monday, November 03, 2014

Gyozamergency

Has it ever happened to you that you've made far too much dumpling filling to fit in the dumpling wrappers you've purchased? Because I've dealt with this so often, this time I got the ratio close to correct. But not quite. I didn't want to waste the remaining filling (a mix of extra-firm tofu, bok choy, scallion, garlic, ginger, mirin, sesame oil, soy sauce, and potato starch), but couldn't think what I'd possibly use it for if I put it away in the fridge.

Then came the epiphany! I remembered that Cooking With Dog had recently shown how to make homemade wrappers. What ensued was not, however, that recipe. I instead emptied the small amount of all-purpose flour left in the flour container into a bowl, and then added (cold) tap water from the sink, mixing a bit along the way, until the consistency seemed right. I (very briefly) kneaded the result, then divided it up into pieces to roll out with a rolling pin. Seeing as I'd run out of flour, I used potato starch on the cutting board. The from-scratch wrappers were not exactly circular, and were far thicker than the prepackaged Mitsuwa variety (which seemed, in turn, much thinner than the thin-ish ones from Hmart).

And... oddly enough, the frantically-homemade wrappers worked! I'm sure the Cooking With Dog way is better - and am still meaning to try it out - but between the filling, the deliciousness-making process (steamed-then-fried), and the dipping sauce (an elaborate step involving pouring soy sauce into a small bowl), it's possible that I wouldn't have noticed that much of a difference.

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