Gullim-mandu (Pyongan Skinless Dumplings)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth for squeezing tofu and kimchi
• •Digital scale or tablespoon scoop
• •Wide 4-quart pot
• •Slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry the filling

   Press the tofu under a plate for 15 minutes, then wrap it in a clean towel and squeeze until it no longer drips. Squeeze the chopped kimchi hard in your fist. Blanch the mung bean sprouts for 2 minutes, rinse briefly, squeeze dry, and chop. This drying is not fussing. If the filling is wet, the dumplings crack in the broth.

   After squeezing, the tofu should weigh about 150g and the kimchi about 80g. Those numbers keep the filling firm enough to roll.
2. 2

   Season the mixture

   In a bowl, combine the pork, tofu, kimchi, sprouts, onion, scallions, garlic, salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, crushed sesame seeds, pepper, and 1 egg. Mix with your hand in one direction for 2 full minutes, until the mixture turns sticky and holds together. That stickiness is the binder; without it, the coating has nothing to cling to.

3. 3

   Test one dumpling

   Pinch off 1 tablespoon of filling and cook it in a small skillet or in simmering broth until done. Taste it before you roll the whole batch. It should be savory but not salty, because the broth will season it again. Add up to 1/4 teaspoon more salt only if it tastes flat.

4. 4

   Roll the balls

   Portion the filling into 24 balls, about 28g each, the size of a small walnut. Roll each one between damp palms until smooth and tight. Set them on a tray. Keep the size even so they cook at the same pace; this is where a scale does the work that old recipes leave to guessing.

5. 5

   Flour and egg

   Put the flour in a shallow bowl and the beaten eggs in another. Roll each ball lightly in flour, shake off the excess, dip it in egg, then roll it in flour once more for a thin, even coat. Do not pack flour onto it like armor. The coating should become a tender skin, not a paste.

6. 6

   Season the broth

   Bring the broth to a steady simmer in a wide pot. Season with the soup soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then taste. It should be clean and lightly seasoned, because the dumplings carry salt too. Keep it at a simmer, not a hard boil, or the coating tears before it sets.

7. 7

   Simmer gently

   Lower the dumplings into the broth one by one, leaving space between them. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, turning them once with a spoon after the coating sets. They are done when they float, feel firm, and the center reaches 71 C or 160 F. Skim any foam from the surface so the broth stays clear.

8. 8

   Serve in bowls

   Divide the dumplings among warm bowls and ladle the clear broth over them. Finish with sliced scallion, jidan if you made it, and a few sesame seeds. Serve with rice if the table is hungry, or with baechu-kimchi and one sharp namul if you want the bowl to stand on its own.

Chef Tips

• •Use pork with some fat, not the leanest grind. Skinless mandu need tenderness inside, and fat keeps the filling from becoming hard once the coating sets.
• •Old kimchi is good here only if it is squeezed hard. Too much kimchi liquid stains the broth and loosens the filling, so keep the flavor and remove the water.
• •A safe shortcut is store-bought unsalted beef broth or a clean anchovy-kelp broth made ahead. Do not shortcut the drying, chopping, or rolling. Those are the dish.
• •If a ball cracks while cooking, your mixture was too wet or too loosely mixed. Add 1 tablespoon flour to the remaining filling, mix again until sticky, and roll the next ones tighter.

Advance Preparation

• •The filling can be mixed and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead. Keep it covered and cold, then roll just before cooking so the coating stays dry.
• •The broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Bring it to a gentle simmer before adding the dumplings.
• •Rolled, uncooked dumpling balls can be frozen before flouring and egging. Freeze them on a tray, then store in a bag up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before coating and simmering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 610g)