Gluten-Free Dumplings
I love a challenge! I am lucky enough to not suffer from celiac, but I have many friends who suffer from a wide spectrum of wheat allergies and celiac. When a colleague who had grown up all over the globe mentioned that the dish he missed most after finally figuring out that he had to completely cut out wheat in every measure was Chinese dumplings.
Well, this gave me a great reason to test my skills. Could I get an off-the-shelf, gluten-free, all-purpose flour to make a proper dumpling wrapper to be crispy and chewy at the same time? Yes, I certainly did. I taste tested the dumplings among celiac and non-celiac taste testers. The verdict? To summarize my colleague, “These dumplings are by the far the BEST dough-y food I have ever had since I had to go wheat-free.” From my husband, “Huh? These aren’t your regular dumplings?” It can’t get better than that compliment-wise, so I shall share my technique.
What’s my next challenge? Gluten-free croissants, of course!
For the wrappers:
3 – 4 cups of gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Cup4Cup because it was on sale, but here’s the Cup4Cup hack from Gluten Free on a Shoestring.)
1 cup water
Pour half of the water into the flour in a medium bowl and begin to work the water into the flour evenly. Slowly add more water a tablespoon at a time until the dough is slightly tacky, but firm to the touch – about the consistency of Play Doh.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes to an hour. If not using same day, place in a plastic zipper bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
While the dough is resting, this would be a good time to prep the filling.
Working with a quarter of the dough at a time, roll the dough into a snake about and inch in diameter and cut one inch lengths. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten and shape into flat circles with slightly thicker centers and thinner edges. If you plan to make all of the dough circles first, use little squares of parchment paper to separate. Because of the milk powder in the flour, the circles will stick even with more flour in between layers.
Makes about 30 wrappers.
For the filling:
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup garlic chives, chopped
¼ cup fried shallots (I fry my own, but you can buy fried shallots at the Asian market. I prefer the fried shallots from Thailand and Taiwan as they seem more aromatic.)
3 tablespoons shallot oil (If frying your own shallots, reserve some of the oil and filter it for use in the filling. Let cool completely after filtration.)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free)
Salt & white pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl thoroughly. Place and shape on a plate, then cover with plastic wrap and chill for an hour.
Fill each wrapper with a spoonful of filling and seal the dumplings by pleating one side of the circle and pinching the pleats into the other half of the circle to close.
To cook the dumplings, boil about four cups of water in a kettle or pot. Then, heat a flat-bottomed frying pan with enough canola oil to thinly cover the bottom of the pan over medium heat. Place about half of the dumplings in the pan as close together as possible, and fry the bottoms until crispy, golden brown. Add enough hot water to the frying pan to cover the dumplings halfway, about two cups. Cover the frying pan and let the dumplings steam. Check the level of the water every so often. Once the dumplings have steamed, and the water has evaporated, uncover the pan, and move the dumplings around the frying pan, gently loosening the dumplings. Remove the dumplings to a plate, and wipe the pan of any residue. Repeat with the second batch of dumplings.
Enjoy the dumplings with black vinegar or a simple sauce of chopped garlic and soy sauce.
Stereotype Rebel 