Chinese Egg Dumplings... and another soup idea.

Chinese Egg Dumplings... and another soup idea. Sometimes I come upon a recipe that simply blows me away. Like making dumplings... with an egg "wrapper". Now, why haven't I ever thought of using eggs in such a way? I mean, it's a genius idea! And to top it off, the dumplings are gluten-free... and SO, so tasty. 

While the egg dumplings can take a bit of time to make, I think they are totally worth making. After making a few, you'll get the hang of them and do what works for you. I ended up using a couple of buttered molds to make a few dumplings that would have a "perfect" half moon shape.... the molds are optional, though. And after making them freehand, I found they were actually easier without the molds. 

But imagine the possibilities. The meat fillings can vary and the dumplings can be used in a variety of ways. They'd be great as an appetizer, with a light dipping sauce. I'm thinking they would also work in a stir fry. You could even use them in soups, which is what I ended up doing. But you know, if the filling would be Italian based, then they could be topped with a marinara sauce, sprinkled with a bit of cheese and then baked. Sort of like baked raviolis. Wouldn't that taste yummy?  Anyway, the possibilities are endless... but I just love, love the idea. 

So I'm sharing the idea mainly... and you can make  as many dumplings as you like. Or you can make a few, and form some of the meat into meatballs if making a soup like I did. I just used ingredients I had in my pantry and fridge... but you can make it your own. The soup is quite simple, and comes together in no time. For my soup, I used a homemade chicken stock, some rice noodles, a few meatballs, torn cabbage leaves and some green onion... and of course, some of the egg dumplings. It was simple, yet so delicious! 

Have fun with the recipe. Sorry about the lighting in the photos, made these for dinner with minimal light....  a greenish tinge in the photos, but the idea is there:).  Hope you enjoy...

Note: I don't know if I should mention this, but in case you are interested.... I've made these with egg whites only, they work ... definitely not as fluffy, but still doable. Of course, you can use a vegetarian filling instead of the meat if you like. 

  

You will need: inspired by userealbutter

Meat Mixture:

6-8 slices dried shitake, soaked, stems removed, and squeezed dry(can use fresh)

1 green onion, minced

1 cabbage leaf, stem removed, finely minced

1/2 lb ground chicken 

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp coconut aminos ( or soy sauce)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Egg Dumplings:

beaten eggs as needed

Note: 1 ex-large beaten egg makes about 6 dumplings. You can use all of the meat mixture to make dumplings, so you may need 6 eggs or so. If making only a few dumplings and making some meatballs with some of the meat , then beat one egg at a time so you don't  have leftover beaten eggs.  

Soup Ingredients: can add ingredients of choice, or skip some and add others.

Homemade chicken stock

Cooked rice noodles

Cooked meatballs from meat mixture above

Cabbage leaves, chopped in large pieces

Sliced green onion 

Cooked egg dumplings

Directions:

1. If using dry shitake, soak in hot water until soft, squeeze dry, remove stem and mince. Mince the green onion and the cabbage leaf as well. Place in a bowl.

2. To the minced vegetables, add the ground chicken, ginger, sesame oil, cornstarch and coconut aminos(or soy sauce) and the salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.  

To Make Egg Dumplings:

1. Beat egg (or eggs). Season with a bit of salt.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet on medium heat, add a bit of oil. 

Note: I lower my heat to low when forming and cooking dumplings.

3. Using about 1 -2 TBS of beaten egg, 

a) pour in a greased mold, spreading egg to fill the mold (this method was my initial try, makes neat circle dumplings, but I recommend the second for making them, as it's much quicker) 

or

b)pour in the center of pan and using the back of a spoon spread egg in a circular  motion to form a 3 inch circle. 

4. Allow egg to set a bit, but making sure the top is till quite wet, then add  1-2 tsps of chicken mixture in the middle of the egg... a bit off center. Flatten the meat a bit so it's not in a mound.

5. Using a small spatula, lift half the egg over the filling, pressing edges so it seals... forming a half moon shape. Allow to set a bit and you can turn it over to cook the second side, if you like. 

6. Repeat  with the rest.

NOTE: You can cook one dumpling at a time, but I found I was OK cooking 3-4 at a time on low heat. I moved the folded ones out to the edge, and poured a new one in the center. However, do what works best for you.     

Making a Simple Soup:

Tip: Feel free to add whatever ingredients you like to a simple homemade chicken stock... mushrooms of all sorts would be wonderful. This is just an idea...

1. Boil water, season water with a bit of salt. Place rice noodles and small 1 inch meatballs (from meat mixture above) in boiling water... Turn off heat and allow to sit until noodles are soft and meatballs are cooked through. Remove noodles and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.

2.  Add chicken stock to pot, bring to a boil, add cabbage leaf pieces, meatballs and cook for a couple of minutes. Add egg dumplings, green onion and noodles. Cook for another minute or so until everything is warmed through and soup is hot. Ladle in bowls. Sprinkle with a bit more fresh green onion....