East of the Sun & West of the Moon
A Chinese Banquet

 

This is another great dumpling recipe with a truly interesting sauce. The Lamb Dumplings can be prepared 1 day earlier and stored in the refrigerator. The Lime Dipping Sauce can be prepared 3 days in advance. Dumplings can be frozen in double thicknesses of plastic wrap and foil. To serve, defrost and heat in a 350° oven until heated through. This recipe can very easily be transformed into Steamed Dumplings which are just marvellous. Instructions follow at the end of the recipe.

Lamb Dumplings:
1 pound lean ground lamb
4 cloves finely minced garlic
1/3 cup finely minced green onions
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or teriyaki marinade)
1 egg, beaten
2 slices fresh bread, sprinkled with water and squeezed dry
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until blended. Shape meat mixture into 1/2-inch balls and flatten slightly.. Place dumplings in a non-stick skillet and cook until bottoms are browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and brown other side. Serve warm with Lime Dipping Sauce on the side for dipping. Yields 36 dumplings.

Lime Dipping Sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons canned beef broth
pinch of Chinese Chili Sauce

Stir together all the ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Yields about 3/4 cup sauce.

To Make Steamed Dumplings:
Wrap each little dumpling in a 3-inch round-shaped dumpling skin. (These are available in all Oriental markets and many supermarkets also.) Press the skin tightly against the dumpling (it will stick together and not cover completely.) Place in a steamer over (not in) rapidly boiling water and steam for 5 minutes. Serve at once with Lime Dipping Sauce on the side. Yields 36.