Kimchi Dumplings

Kim Chee
(Korean Pickled Cabbage)
About 1 quart
(from http://www.cheriestihler.com/recipes/kchee.html)

2 lbs celery cabbage
1/2 cup coarse salt
4 cups water
1-1/2 Tbs crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbs granulated sugar
2 green onions, finely chopped

1. Rinse the cabbage in cold water and drain. Cut the cabbage into 1-1/2-inch squares. Sprinkle with salt, add the water, and let stand overnight.

2. Rinse the cabbage in cold water and drain. Using a wooden spoon, blend the remaining ingredients and stir this well into the cabbage pieces. Pack into a quart jar and cover. Place the jar in a plastic bag to prevent the odors from spreading to other foods. Refrigerate and let stand four to five days to cure.



Dumpling Skins

Yield: MAKES 50 SKINS
(from http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/fresh-dumpling-skins)
Ingredients

* 3 cups flour
* ¼ teaspoon salt
* Water

Directions

1. Sift together the flour and salt. Pour 2/3 cup water in a bowl and add the flour a little bit at a time, mixing with each addition. Continue mixing until the dough is completely mixed and stiff. Wrap in a damp cloth and let sit for about 30 minutes.

2. To roll out the dough, prepare a lightly floured surface. Pinch off small pieces and make them into round balls to roll out flat with a rolling pin. Alternately, roll the dough into small, sausage-shaped rolls and slice them before rolling them into flat circles. Each circle should be about 2½ to 3 inches in diameter.

3. Use to making dumplings. If you are preparing the skins in advance, store by stacking each circle with a little bit of flour between each skin, wrapping the whole stack tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for no more than a week. You may also freeze the skins, but be sure to defrost in the fridge overnight before using.


NOTES:
I let the kimchi cure in the fridge for 5 days. It was so salty though, I doubt there was much going on in there.

For the skins, I roughly followed the recipe above. I ran out of white flour 3/4 through, and used wheat flour for the rest. The wheat dumplings came out just as well as the white. After making the skins, I put a couple spoonfuls of the kimchi (chopped a bit finer than I'd initially made it) into each skin. I had rolled out the skins to be about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. After filling each skin, I folded it over and pressed the edges together. I then steamed all the dumplings for 10 minutes. Served with soy sauce and sriracha on the side. Yum!!!

posted by BNH