We’ve already featured an Asian Soup Dumpling Bake in this space. Now it’s time for an Asian Soup Dumpling Stir-fry! Many of the ingredients and procedures used in the Bake will crop up again here. But there are some essential differences, too…
I saw the glam photo for this dish and immediately thought, “I wish I knew a Chinese Food takeout that made this!” I assumed it would be complicated, with a whole bunch of ingredients and a whole page of instructions… Not so!
Familiar techniques
All the procedures and techniques you’ll need for this recipe should already be familiar to you. And there’s nothing to complicat6ed or intricate that couldn’t get the hang of it on the fly!
It’s a one-pan fry-up and you don’t need a wok. Just a regular high-sided skillet. Any spatula compat-ible with the surface finish of your pan will do just fine.
For the sauce…
This is, in fact, a 2-for-1 recipe post! First the all-purpose Chinese Stri-Fry Sauce. Then the fry, itself…
The recipe I started with for this all-purpose Chinese Stir-fry sauce asks for the following:
-
- 1 1/2 cups / 350 ml chicken stock (or vegetable or mushroom stock)
- 1 tablespoon Mirin (or unsweetened apple juice)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Tips and hacks…
First of all, most Western palates won’t miss the scanty 1/4 tsps. of salt and pepper. There’s plenty of salt in the Soy Sauce, and more in the Oyster Sauce.
The crucial ingredients for achieving the classic flavour you’re expecting from this blend are the Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce and Sesame Oil. The brown sugar is almost as important. Use light brown sugar. It’s a stand-in, in this sauce, for traditional coconut sugar.
As for the Mirin… If you don’t cook Asian dishes frequently, even a small bottle of Mirin – Chinese cooking wine – may seem an excessive expense. That’s why I suggest the apple juice option. You can also use the juice of half a lemon. Whatever you employ in this player position, keep in mind this ingredient is meant to give the blend its typical acidic Asian top note. Add the Mirin/apple juice/lemon juice at the end, a bit at a time, to your preference, tasting as you go. HINT: Try a blend of apple juice and lemon juice!
Just put all the sauce ingredients in a 1 qt. / 1 L Mason Jar with a tight-sealing lid, and shake until they’re thoroughly combined. The mixture shouldn’t separate after sitting. But it doesn’t matter if it does. Just shake the jar up again…
The main event
The stir-fry I promised you is a super-simple affair. Just thaw the dumplings in a single layer on a mic-safe plate, buzzing in the microwave for a minute at a time until they’re soft to the pinch. And it doesn’t matter of they’re still cold to the touch. They’re fully cooked straight out of the freezer, and you’re going to fry them!
You’ll also need:
-
- 1 julienned Bell Pepper (or a blend of Red and Green)
- 1 medium onion (slivered)
- 1 – 2 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
- 1 cup Brocolini or Chinese Broccoli florets
What you do
Heat the pan to medium high, lubricating it with a tablespoon or so of Canola or other neutral-flavoured high-temp oil.
Place the dumplings in the pan not quite touching, crimped seam up. Sizzle until they develop a nice golden brown toast on all sides.
Add about 1/2 cup / 60 ml of stir-fry sauce. Stir gently to coat the dumplings and veggies. Add more sauce if the pan is too dry. Turn the heat down to medium or medium-low. From here on out, we want the dumplings and veggies to simmer.
When you’re satisfied the solid ingredients have married flavour-wise with the sauce, add a slurry made of 2 tsp. / 10 ml Cornstarch in 3 tbsp. of cold water. Stir continuously until the corn starch mixture is thoroughly incorporated with the other ingredients, and transparent shiny glaze develops.
My take
The sauce recipe makes about 2 cups. It should take no more than 5 minutes to shake up a batch. It will keep, tightly sealed in the fridge, for up to a week. You’ll need 3/4 to 1 cup / 90 to 120 ml for each dish you make with it.
The sauce requires no cooking at all, and the stir-fry takes no more than 10 minutes, including the thawing time for the dumplings.
Enjoy this dish by itself, or over rice, garnished with toasted sesame seeds. You might think noodles would also go well… But remember: you already have the dumplings in there!
~ Maggie J.