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Lamb and fennel dumplings with green sauce
Serves 4 (24-30) Starters and mains
For the vinegar pearls
- 250ml neutral oil
- 100ml chinkiang black rice vinegar
- 1tsp light brown sugar
- ½tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns, sieved
- ½tsp agar agar
For the green sauce
- 80ml neutral oil
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 green chilli, roughly chopped
- 2 small handfuls baby spinach
- small handful coriander leaves and stems, roughly chopped
- 1tbsp pickled jalapeño juice
- 1tsp sea salt
- 2tbsp light soy sauce
For the dumplings
- 2tsp coriander seeds
- 2tbsp fennel seeds
- 400g minced lamb (less than 20% fat)
- 2tbsp shaoxing rice wine
- 2tbsp light soy sauce
- 2tsp sesame oil
- 1tbsp light brown sugar
- ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Chinese leeks, finely sliced
- 6 Chinese leaf leaves, finely shredded
- 24–30 dumpling wrappers (see recipe linked) or 450g frozen dumpling wrappers
To serve
- 4tsp Sichuan chilli oil
- 2tsp roasted chilli powder
- small handful dill fronds
Method
For the vinegar pearls, pour the neutral oil into a glass and place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until completely cold.
Meanwhile, add the vinegar to a small saucepan and add the sugar and Sichuan pepper. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Add the agar agar and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and stir to ensure the agar agar is distributed evenly.
Remove the oil from the freezer. Dip a fork into the vinegar mixture and very gently tilt the fork above the cold oil, to create small droplets. The droplets should fall into the oil to create small spheres. You can also do this using a squeezy dropper bottle, if you have one. Scoop the pearls from the oil and store in a container in the fridge.
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a gentle heat. Add the garlic, spring onions and green chilli and fry until softened and fragrant. Remove from the heat and add the spinach to the pan. Stir to wilt, then tip the contents of the pan, along with the remaining green sauce ingredients, into a blender and whizz on a high speed until smooth. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
For the dumplings, roast the coriander and fennel seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then grind to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Transfer to a large mixing bowl with the lamb, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon in a clockwise direction, really beating the lamb around the bowl, until it resembles a thick, sticky paste, incorporating a little water if necessary. Add the Chinese leeks and leaves and fold through the mix. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the dumpling wrappers.
To assemble, line a tray with baking paper. Take a dumpling wrapper (recipe here) in the palm of your hand and place 1 large tsp filling in the centre. Bring the edges of the wrapper together and gently press the dough to seal the dumpling, adding some pleats if you want to. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and place the completed dumplings on the prepared tray, at least 1cm apart.
Line a steamer basket with baking paper (or a couple of Chinese leaves). Put the dumplings in the basket at least 1cm apart. Set over a pan of boiling water and steam for 8–10 minutes, in batches if necessary.
Take 4 serving bowls and put 4–5tbsp green sauce in each, along with 6 or more dumplings. Top each bowl with 1tsp vinegar pearls and drizzle over the chilli oil to create pretty pools of red. Sprinkle over the roasted chilli powder and dill fronds to serve.
This recipe was taken from the January/February 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.
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