Eomandu (Fish-Wrapped Dumplings)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Very sharp slicing knife
• •Small steamer or wide pot with steamer insert
• •Heatproof plate that fits inside the steamer
• •Parchment paper or clean cloth for patting fish dry
• •Small offset spatula or spoon for lifting dumplings

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice the fish

   Pat the fish very dry and slice it on a shallow diagonal into 16 thin pieces, each about 8cm long and 5cm wide if the fillet allows it. Lay the slices between two sheets of parchment and tap them gently with the flat side of a knife or a small pan until they are thin enough to fold without cracking. This is the dish's first test. If the fish is thick, it breaks. If it is ragged, it will not wrap cleanly.

2. 2

   Season the wrappers

   Sprinkle the fish with 1/4 teaspoon of the fine sea salt, the rice wine, and the white pepper. Let it rest 10 minutes, then blot again. The salt firms the fish just enough to handle, and the rice wine keeps its flavor clean. Do not soak it longer, or the flesh turns wet and difficult.

3. 3

   Salt the cucumber

   Toss the cucumber with 1/2 teaspoon salt and set it aside for 10 minutes. Squeeze it dry in a clean cloth. This is not fussiness. Cucumber carries more water than it admits, and that water will loosen the filling and tear the fish wrapper if you leave it there.

4. 4

   Mix the filling

   In a bowl, combine the beef, minced shiitake, squeezed cucumber, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, scallion, sugar, crushed sesame seeds, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Mix in one direction with chopsticks or your hand for 1 full minute, until the filling turns sticky. That stickiness is what holds the dumpling together without a flour wrapper.

5. 5

   Dust with starch

   Spread the mung-bean starch in a shallow dish. Brush one fish slice lightly with egg white, then dust only the inner side with starch and shake off the extra. Too much starch makes a gummy skin. Too little gives the filling nothing to grip. A thin, even veil is the measure.

6. 6

   Wrap the dumplings

   Place 1 level teaspoon of filling in the center of the starched side of each fish slice. Fold the fish around it into a half-moon or small bundle, pressing the edges gently so the starch and egg white seal. Do not overfill. Eomandu should show the fish, not become a meatball wearing a fish coat.

7. 7

   Steam gently

   Bring water to a steady simmer in a steamer. Lightly oil a heatproof plate or line the steamer with parchment pierced with small holes. Arrange the dumplings with space between them and steam 6 to 8 minutes, until the fish is opaque and the beef filling is cooked through. Keep the heat moderate; hard boiling makes the wrappers curl and split.

8. 8

   Make the sauce

   Stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, sugar, and chopped scallion until the sugar dissolves. Taste it. It should be light and sharp, not heavy, because the dumplings are delicate and need a sauce that bows a little.

9. 9

   Plate and serve

   Lift the dumplings carefully with a small spatula and arrange them on a warm or room-temperature plate. Garnish with thin strips of yellow and white jidan and a few pine nuts if you are using them. Serve with the dipping sauce on the side. Eat them soon after steaming, while the fish is tender and the filling still tastes clear.

Chef Tips

• •Choose a white fish with broad, clean fillets: flounder, sole, sea bream, or cod from the thick end. Very flaky fish can work, but it must be fresh and cold, or the slices tear under your hand.
• •Keep the filling restrained. Beef and shiitake are there to give depth, not to dominate. If the filling tastes strongly of garlic or sesame before steaming, it will shout even louder after.
• •A bamboo steamer is lovely, but a metal steamer basket and a heatproof plate work well. 시대가 바뀌면 음식도 바뀌어야 해요. When times change, food must change too. The vessel can change; the thin fish slicing cannot.
• •If you are serving this for a dinner party, make one test dumpling first. Steam it, cut it open, and adjust the filling before wrapping the rest. 손맛 is real; I measure it anyway, but one test dumpling tells the truth.

Advance Preparation

• •The filling can be mixed up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Keep it cold, and stir it again before wrapping.
• •The fish can be sliced and seasoned up to 2 hours ahead. Lay it flat between parchment, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Blot it again before dusting with starch.
• •Wrap the dumplings no more than 1 hour before steaming. Once starch touches damp fish, the clock starts, and the wrapper softens if it waits too long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 205g)