Recipe Round Up- China Style

So, I had said that she would be here with a guest post. Here it is all the way from China!
The recipe actually can be a little criptic at times when you are making it. We often had to remember what we saw or learned at the class. I guess they do that so people have to come to the class to really get it right verses a recipe being circulated around to all your friends. Anyway, we did make the dumplings at home and they turned out pretty good. Still no comparison from the 'experts' who make them everyday. As far as the art/technique of making the actual dumpling into its shape...that is hard to explain but I am sure the folks could google that part and try it out. (Note: My personal notes in are in italics.)
XIAO LONG BAO
For the Pork Skin Jellly
500g Pork Skin
1000g Chicken Feet
500g Lean Pork, Leg Cut
5 Shiitake Mushroom (Dried Variety), soaked
3Kg Water
50g Spring Onion
50g Ginger, Fresh
80ml Yellow Rice Wine
1 tsp Salt

Blanch the pork skin in boiling water. Rinse with flowing water to clean. In a pot, boil 3kg water; add the cleaned pork skin and cook for 2 hours. Add the spring onion and ginger and yellow rice wine (our notes: all remaining ingredients are added except the salt) and cook further until the pork skin is almost mashed. (Use a cheesecloth to strain to get the broth). Use a blender to blend. Bring it back to the pot, add salt and cook more. Transfer to a container to cool down. (Takes about a total of 6 hours. After jelly is set, you can cut into squares and freeze for approx. 6 months.)

For the Dough:
200g Wheat flour (medium gluten)
100ml Cold Water
Combine the flour with cold water to make a smooth dough. (Let it rest for 30 minutes and knead again. Repeat the process 2-3 times for best results.)

For the Filling:250g Ground Pork, the belly cut
100g Pork Skin Jelly
30g Minced Ginger
5g Salt
30g Sugar
Dash White Pepper
Chicken Stock Powder, as needed
18ml Soy Sauce (Dark Variety)
Dash Yellow Rice Wine
100ml Cold Water

Place the ground pork in a big bowl. Add ginger, white pepper, salt, sugar, chicken stock powder and soy sauce. Use hand to whip in one direction until it becomes spongy. Add the cold water, little by little, and whip into the meat. Add the chopped pork skin jelly. Sit in fridge for 30 minutes before wrapping into dumplings.

Roll out dough (in a long piece about 1 in diameter) and break into small pieces (10-15g each). Press to flatten each piece and roll with a stick (small wooden rolling pin) to make a round wrapper. With the center slightly thicker than the edges. Hold a wrapper on the palm; put 20g of pork filling on the wrapper. Pull the edges to the center and pinch them together one by one to form nice and even pleats.

Place in a bamboo steamer and place in a pan of boiling water. Once steam is rolling from the bamboo steamer, let cook 6 minutes. Ready to serve.

Hope your bloggees enjoy at least a good read of the recipe and maybe even give it a whirl for the more adventurous!

Photo Sent from China-The Chicken Feet and the reason this will not be made in my house!

So, if you are adventurous and make this. Let me know, just don't invite me over that night Ok? :)