Saeu-mandu (Shrimp Dumplings)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide nonstick or well-seasoned skillet with lid
• •Clean kitchen towel for squeezing tofu and cabbage
• •Small bowl of water for sealing wrappers
• •Rimmed tray dusted lightly with starch

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry the tofu

   Wrap the tofu in a clean towel and press it under a plate for 15 minutes. Crumble it fine, then squeeze once more in the towel. Tofu gives the filling tenderness, but if it carries water into the wrapper, the mandu will split before it browns.

2. 2

   Salt the cabbage

   Toss the chopped napa cabbage with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and let it stand 10 minutes. Squeeze it firmly until no more liquid drips. This small step is the difference between a clean filling and a puddle hiding inside the wrapper.

3. 3

   Cut the shrimp

   Pat the shrimp dry. Chop half of it finely until it is almost a paste, then cut the other half into small 1 centimeter pieces. The chopped half binds with the pork; the pieces give the dumpling its snap. Do not put it all through a machine, or the filling loses its character.

4. 4

   Mix the filling

   In a bowl, combine the chopped shrimp, shrimp pieces, pork, pressed tofu, squeezed cabbage, garlic chives, scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, starch, rice wine, white pepper, egg white, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix with one hand in one direction for 2 full minutes, until the pork turns sticky and the filling clings to the side of the bowl. That tackiness is what keeps the dumpling together.

   To check the seasoning, fry one teaspoon of filling in a small pan and taste it. Raw filling lies to you. Cooked filling tells the truth.
5. 5

   Fill the wrappers

   Place 1 level tablespoon, about 18 grams, of filling in the center of each wrapper. Wet the edge with water, fold into a half-moon, and press out any trapped air before sealing. Pleat if you like, but seal first. Air pockets swell in the pan and open the dumpling.

6. 6

   Pan-fry the bottoms

   Heat a wide nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon neutral oil. Set the mandu in a single layer, flat side down, with a little space between them. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and crisp. Do this in batches if the pan is small.

7. 7

   Steam and uncover

   Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and cover at once. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, until the wrappers turn translucent and the filling is cooked through. Uncover and let the remaining water cook away, another 2 minutes, so the bottoms crisp again. A mandu should not arrive soggy after all that careful folding.

8. 8

   Make the sauce

   Stir together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, gochugaru if using, sesame seeds, and sliced scallion. Keep it sharp and simple. The sauce is there to wake up the shrimp, not bury it.

9. 9

   Serve at once

   Serve the mandu crisp side up, with the dipping sauce on the side. Eat them while the wrappers still hold their contrast: tender at the top, browned underneath, and springy inside.

Chef Tips

• •Buy shrimp that smell clean and faintly sweet, never sharp. Frozen raw shrimp are often better than tired fresh shrimp, but thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and dry them hard before chopping.
• •The safe shortcut is bought wrappers. 시대가 바뀌면 음식도 바뀌어야 해요. When times change, food must change too. The corner you cannot cut is squeezing the tofu and cabbage, because wet filling punishes every wrapper equally.
• •If you want more seafood and less pork, use 360g shrimp and 120g pork. Do not remove the pork entirely unless you add another binder, because the filling needs some fat and tackiness to hold cleanly.
• •For soup mandu, skip the pan-fry and simmer the dumplings gently in anchovy-kelp broth or clear beef broth for 5 to 6 minutes. Do not boil hard, or the wrappers open.

Advance Preparation

• •The filling can be mixed up to 12 hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Stir once before wrapping, because liquid may settle at the bottom.
• •Wrapped uncooked mandu freeze well. Set them on a starch-dusted tray until solid, then bag them for up to 2 months. Cook from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the covered steaming time.
• •Cooked mandu are best eaten right away. If you have leftovers, reheat them in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat, covered for 2 minutes and uncovered for 2 minutes, to restore the bottom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 310g)