Peking Ravioli (Jiao-Zi) One of My Mother's Most Treasured Recipes

Peking Ravioli (Jiao-Zi) – one of my mother's most treasured

Me and my goddaughter, Sophie, making jiao-zi for Chinese New Year a few years back.

Although everyone raved about the Peking Raviolis in our restaurant, we always favored the homemade ones that came out of our family kitchen. In the Chinese tradition, we would all help making the ravioli and then everyone would count the number they could eat. My mother coined the name Peking Ravioli, because when we started serving them in our restaurant in the 1950's, no one had seen anything like them before. Borrowing from the Italian version at least gave people the idea that these were dough pockets with a filling. Interestingly, although the name Pot Sticker is common now, just about all the Chinese restaurants in this area still call then Peking Ravioli because of my mother's influence.

The name for these meat filled dumplings is Jiao zi that is, if they are boiled. They take on different names depending upon the manner in which they are cooked. If they are pan fried, they are called K'uo Tieh or Pot Sticker because they stick to the pot when cooked. If they are boiled they are called jiao zi.

Jiao zi are popular in Northern China in areas such as Beijing and Shangtung where wheat flour is used. Making Jiao zi is a social occasion for the whole family and a tradition during Chinese New Year.

I will give you my mother's recipe for the filling just as she gave to us:

1 pound napa cabbage

1 ½ teaspoon salt, divided

¾ pound ground pork

1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, dark

1 tablespoon dry sherry

½ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or bacon drippings

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

1. Wash and drain cabbage and chop very fine, sprinkling 1 teaspoon salt over the cabbage as you chop.

2. Place chopped cabbage in a cloth bag or in a sheet of cheesecloth, doubled over. Squeeze out enough liquid to make 1 cup. Discard liquid.

3. Put the remaining ingredients into a large bowl and add the cabbage.

4. Mix well – hand mixing is the best way.

5. Cover and set aside.

6. There will be enough meat filling for about 32 jiao zi.

It’s now fairly easy to find round dough wrappers called Dumpling or Gyoza wrappers in a good supermarket or Asian market. I like to use Twin Marquis brand “Dumpling Wrapper (Shanghai Style)” which come in 16 ounce packages.

To form the dumplings:

1. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of a round wrapper.

2. Fold the wrapper in half to form a half moon shape and brush the edges with a little water.

3. Pinch the edges together to seal tightly (you can also use Helen’s Asian Kitchen Dumplings Press).

4. Place formed dumplings on a floured baking sheet or plate until ready to cook. Keep them covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying.

NOTE: Uncooked dumplings may be kept in the refrigerator for several days or frozen for several weeks. To freeze, place the dumplings on floured baking sheets in the freezer. When they have frozen, you can put them into a plastic bag and seal. Do not drop them into a freezer bag while they are soft or they will stick together.

TO BOIL:

1. Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil in a stock pot.

2. Slip the dumplings into the boiling water, being sure there is enough room to allow them to swim about freely; cover and cook over medium high heat until water boils again. Keep and eye on the pot because it can foam and boil over easily.

3. As soon as the water returns to a boil, add a cup of cold water, cover and continue cooking over medium heat. When the water comes to a boil a third time remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 2 - 3 minutes. This procedure ensures that the filling will be cooked through.

4. Remove dumplings with a wire strainer and drain in a colander.

5. Transfer to a plate or shallow platter and serve immediately.

It is customary to serve boiled jiao-zi with a vinegar/soy(light)/hot oil dip that guests may put together themselves. Just set out cruets of each (you can also use Chinkiang vinegar) and let people mix their own. My family and I actually prefer to eat Jiao-zi with just cider vinegar.

For a whole meal, Chinese style, allow 6 to 15 pieces per person depending upon their appetite. The Chinese also like to serve the cooking water as a soup. It will not be tasty, but many Chinese are partial to it.