Methods for Preparing Frozen Dumplings

For many years, my now-wife and I lived in different cities while I pursued other interests and she was still just my girlfriend, Adri. My regular weekend routine involved loading up the old Saab and driving down to New York City from Boston. In every case, my sole responsibility was to Bringing Frozen Dumplings to You

We were craving the frozen dumplings sold in bags of 50 at Qingdao Garden on Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave) between Cambridge and Arlington. With any luck, each supply order would last the full two weeks. As a result of my wife's dumpling obsession, we always have a supply of them on hand in the freezer.

Although many perish during the journey from freezer to stomach, dumplings are nearly indistinguishable from fresh-made if they are protected from freezer burn. You can have a delicious, hot snack in just a few minutes if you keep Chinese dumplings or Japanese gyoza dumplings in your freezer.

What follows are some of my preferred preparation methods for frozen dumplings. Dumplings from the freezer are the basis for all of these dishes.

We'll start with the obvious: frozen dumplings are required prior to any cooking. You can also buy them premade (stay tuned for our taste test recommendations), but making them at home or purchasing uncooked fresh or frozen dumplings from a neighborhood restaurant will yield much better results. )

The key is to freeze them separately and avoid freezer burn when storing them.

Fresh dumplings should be frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a large plate dusted with a little flour or cornstarch. After half an hour in the freezer, remove the tray from the freezer and transfer the dumplings to a zipper-lock freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as you can before sealing the bag. , then put the dumplings in the fridge for up to two months.

Sublimation, the direct transformation of ice crystals into water vapor, is the direct cause of freezer burn. Reducing the airflow around the dumplings will help prevent sublimation. Because ordinary zipper-lock bags are permeable (air can slowly pass through the plastic), they aren't ideal for long-term freezer storage. Use a freezer bag with a zipper because they are made of stronger plastic and are specifically designed to prevent freezer burn. As an alternative, you could use a regular plastic bag with a zipper and then wrap it tightly in two layers of aluminum foil. Because of this, the dumplings will not be able to breathe.

The quickest way to prepare frozen dumplings is to boil them in a pot of salted water until they are tender.

When boiling dumplings, fill a large pot with water until it reaches halfway up the side. Toss in the ingredients, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Throw in as many dumplings as you can fit in a single layer and cook them until they float. Give them two or three more minutes in the oven. Strain them in a colander before serving.

Rather than waiting for an entire pot of water to come to a boil, you only need to bring a few cups of water to a boil when steaming. It will also leave the skins feeling firmer and more elastic. In most cases, I prefer this consistency to the softer one that boiling produces. A bamboo steamer insert for a wok or a pot is required. Worthwhile purchase for those who regularly prepare Asian meals; can also be used for storing potatoes and onions in a vertical stack.

You need to line a bamboo steamer because frozen dumplings will stick to the bamboo. Have some Napa cabbage in the fridge? The leaves make excellent steamer liners. As an alternative, you can create a permeable non-stick surface by using parchment paper. Once you have the technique down, you can whip one up in the time it takes to get the water in the wok to a boil. Here's how

Begin by halving a sheet of parchment paper that's at least as big as your steamer's diameter on all sides.

Make a rectangle by folding it in half the other way.

You can make a triangle out of the rectangle if you fold it in half so that the point of the new fold is at the original rectangle's main vertex (where the full sheet's center was).

The triangle can be made very long and thin by folding it in half again.

Arrange the triangle so that its apex is directly above the center of your steamer. The pointy end must be lopped off so the triangle can fit inside the boiler.

Take a pair of scissors and snip off the point of the triangle.

Cut the large triangle into a series of smaller triangles along its perimeter. When you unfold the parchment, the holes will let steam out and crisp the dumplings.

To use the bamboo steamer, unfold the parchment and place the food inside. It ought to be a flawless fit.

Once you've added your dumplings, place the steamer on top of a wok or saucepan that will fit just underneath it and fill the wok or saucepan with about an inch of water. Put on the lid of the steamer and get the water boiling over high heat. Taking them straight from the freezer, the dumplings only need about 10 minutes in the steamer to be fully cooked.

Japan's gyoza and China's guo tie are best prepared using the steam-fry or potsticker technique. Frozen dumplings are fried, then steamed by adding water and covering the pan; finally, they are fried again after the water has evaporated. Incorporating a second fry cycle into the process yields a crust that is twice as crisp.

The initial fry is sometimes skipped in the interest of convenience on the back of a bag of frozen dumplings, but it's well worth your time if you're going to use this method.

How? Read on!

Crisp up in the fryer.

In a cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil over moderate heat until it shimmers. Put the dumplings in a single layer in the pan and cook them for 1-2 minutes, turning them around so that they brown evenly. For a more uniform crust, a good stir is essential.

Add water

Turn the heat up to medium-high and add water until it's about a third to half way up the dumplings.

Prepare food by steaming it until it is completely done.

Put a lid on top and steam the dumplings for a few minutes until they are done. Cooking time for frozen dumplings varies by size, but you can usually tell when they're done by cutting one in half and taking a peek inside.

Take the lid off and cook, stirring occasionally, until the food is crisp once more.

Take off the lid and continue cooking in this manner until all the liquid has evaporated and the dumplings have regained their crispness. Depending on the recipe, you may or may not be supposed to swirl the dumplings. Swirling the pan helps achieve a more uniform browning and crispier crust, in my opinion.

Crispy, extra-thick bottoms

When I was younger, I worked as a line cook in a hotel's upscale restaurant. It's already difficult to work in the restaurant industry, but working in a hotel restaurant is even more stressful due to room service. An order for a cheeseburger or steak can come in while you're in the middle of the thickest weeds you've ever had to dig yourself out of. To me, it was always important to get the room service orders out of the way as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality.

Among the most ordered room service items is the Fried dumplings that we froze in large quantities and then cooked on demand. Bet your bottom dollar that I figured out the quickest way to do it Faster than using a regular pan, steam frying in a nonstick skillet is still not fast enough. I had no more than 5 minutes to complete it.

If you're craving something crunchy, juicy, and fatty RIGHT NOW, this is the way to go.

Start by placing your frozen dumplings in a microwave-safe bowl and covering them with water by about halfway.

Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate and cook the dumplings for three minutes at high power.

Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.

Wait 15 seconds after draining the dumplings before serving. So that you don't splash yourself while cooking, wait a few minutes for some of the moisture on the surface of the vegetables to evaporate before adding water to the hot skillet.

Place the dumplings, right-side up, in the skillet and cook, shaking and swirling the pan constantly, until the bottoms are a uniform golden brown. You can expect this to take no more than a minute. Crisp them up on more than one surface if you like a really crunchy result.

Re-arrange on the plate, and pass the dipping sauce at the table. Within five minutes, you can go from freezer to stomach.