CHICKEN DUMPLINGS

More than just tasty parcels, dumplings represent abundance and wealth and are eaten throughout the Chinese New Year as a symbol of good luck. Whole families get together to make these yummy pouches, which can be filled with meat, vegetables and seafood.

280g (2¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

250g (generous 1 cup) minced (ground) chicken

200g (scant 1 cup) minced (ground) pork shoulder (needs to be quite fatty)

1 bunch of spring onions (scallions), sliced into rings

3 tbsp oyster sauce

From the store cupboard

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp white pepper

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

4 tbsp oil

To make the dumpling wrappers, put the flour into a bowl and gradually pour in 180ml (¾ cup) just-boiled water in a steady stream, stirring with a wooden spoon until all of the flour is damp. Pull the mixture together with one hand and form it into a ball; the dough will still be fairly lumpy at this stage.

Tip the ball out on to a smooth unfloured surface and knead with the heel of your hand for about 2 minutes until the dough is silky and slightly elastic.

Put the dough into a ziplock bag and squeeze the air out before sealing. Leave for at least 15 minutes at room temperature (or up to 2 hours), while you prepare the filling. The dough will create condensation in the bag and will feel soft when it is ready.

Mix the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oil for frying. Mix well as you want an even distribution of ingredients.

Divide the dough into 32 equal pieces using a sharp knife. Taking one piece at a time, roll into a ball before flattening with the heel of your hand. Take a lightly floured rolling pin (to prevent sticking) and roll the dough until very thin but not too fragile to handle.

Place a teaspoon of filling into the centre of the wrapper, then fold one edge over to meet the other side and gently press the edges together, making sure that no filling escapes or is caught in the edge. Gather the sealed side of the parcel to form ripples around the edge of the dumpling. Place on a sheet of greaseproof paper until you are ready to cook.

Heat the reserved 2 tablespoons of oil in a flat-bottomed wok, or frying pan with a lid, over a medium-high heat. Fry the dumplings in batches of 8–10 to avoid overcrowding; fry on one side only for 2 minutes. Add 1cm (½in) water, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with the lid, allowing the dumplings to steam until the water has evaporated. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high and fry until all the bottoms are golden brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and enjoy hot.