TRADITIONAL-ISH PORK DUMPLINGS

Makes: about 24 dumplings

■ 1 cup (250 ml) diced tightly packed green vegetable of your choice, such as brussels sprouts, kale stems or turnip greens

■ One 1-inch (2.5-cm) piece fresh ginger, minced

■ 5 cloves garlic, minced

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) toasted sesame oil

■ 1 large egg

■ 3/4 tsp (4 ml) kosher salt

■ 8 oz (225 g) ground pork, preferably not too lean 24 store-bought dumpling wrappers

■ Neutral oil, such as canola, for cooking

■ Soy vinegar dipping sauce (see recipe), for serving

1. Put all the filling ingredients except the pork in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the pork and mix thoroughly. Pan-fry or microwave a spoonful to taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

2. Fold the dumplings: For the classic pleat, hold a wrapper in your left hand and place a spoonful of filling into the centre with your right hand. Depending on how large your wrappers are, this is usually about 3/4 to 1 tbsp. Leave some space: tempting as it is to overstuff, the filling will squirt messily and make the folding process more difficult.

3. Fold the wrapper in half into a taco shape and, starting from the right side, pinch the wrapper shut. If you’re using store-bought wrappers, set up a small bowl of water to help seal the wrappers. Dip a finger into the water and smear it around the edge of each wrapper before you fold so the dough sticks when you pinch it shut. After each pinch, fold the side farthest from you into a pleat toward the pinched end and press it back together. The side closest to you should remain smooth and will gradually curve toward you into a crescent shape.

4. Continue to pleat and pinch until the entire dumpling is sealed, aiming for 5-6 pleats per dumpling or more if you want to get fancy. As you fold, place the dumplings onto a large plate or sheet pan in rows with a little space between each one. Cook them right away, or place the sheet pan into the freezer so they can freeze without squishing each other. Once frozen, transfer the dumplings into plastic bags for storage.

5. Cook the dumplings: Find a large skillet (non-stick works well here) for which you have a lid. Coat the bottom of the skillet with a layer of neutral oil (about 2 tbsp) and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmery, carefully fill the pan with a single layer of dumplings (non-pleated side down), leaving a bit of room between each one. Cook for 2-4 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown — you can pick one up to check.

6. Turn the heat to medium and grab the lid and about 1⁄4 cup (50 ml) of water. Shielding yourself with the lid, pour the water into the hot pan — it will steam and sizzle, so be careful there isn’t too much oil in the pan to spatter all over the place. Cover the pan and let the steam cook the top of the dumplings, 4-6 minutes or 8-10 minutes if cooking from frozen.

7. Once the water has evaporated, the wrappers should be slightly translucent and the filling fully cooked. If not, add a splash of water and cover again for a minute or two. You can test for doneness by breaking open a dumpling or using your instantread thermometer. Turn the heat up slightly, and the remaining oil in the bottom of the pan will re-crisp the bottom of the dumplings. Depending on your heat, water and oil levels, you may need to add more water or oil, but you’ll get the hang of it after practice, we promise.

8. Serve with dipping sauce.

SOY VINEGAR DIPPING SAUCE

Makes: 1 cup (250 ml)

■ 1/2 cup (125 ml) soy sauce (substitute tamari if gluten-free)

■ 1/3 cup (80 ml) black vinegar (substitute rice vinegar if unavailable or if gluten-free)

■ 1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped scallions

■ 1 clove garlic, smashed

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) chili sauce or hot sauce

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.