Soup Dumplings

Ingredients

• For the broth:
• 3 pounds chicken backs or wings
• 1/2 pound Chinese ham or slab bacon
• 6 scallions, whites separated, greens roughly chopped
• 1-inch knob ginger
• 1 tablespoon white peppercorns
• Kosher salt
• For the filling:
• 1/3 pound ground pork
• 1/4 pound raw shrimp, peeled
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon XiaoShing wine
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• For the dough:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• Napa cabbage leaves

Directions

1. Put the chicken bones, ham, scallion whites, half of the scallion greens, ginger, and white peppercorns into a saucepan, then add enough cold water to cover. Set it over high heat and bring it up to a boil, then lower the heat so it gently simmers for 2 1/2 hours. Pour the broth through a strainer, add salt to taste, cover it, and chill until it firms into a soft jelly, at least 8 hours.
2. While that’s happening, add the pork, shrimp, soy sauce, wine, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and the remaining scallion greens to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture becomes a smooth, fine paste, about 12 to 15 1-second pulses. Tuck it into the refrigerator until you need it.
3. At the same time, put the flour in the food processor bowl. With the processor running, pour in the boiling water slowly, stopping once the dough comes together, since you probably won’t use it all. Let the dough move around in the processor for 30 seconds. With floured hands, shape it into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough sit for at least 30 minutes.
4. Once the broth has gelled, put the filling into a bowl and add 1 cup of the jellied broth, saving the rest for another use. Beat or whisk until the mixture is even throughout. Keep the filling well chilled.
5. Cut the dough into 4 sections, then divide each section into 10 small tablespoon-sized balls, for 40 balls total. Flour your work surface generously, then roll each piece into a circle measuring 3 1/2- to 4-inches across. Stack the wrappers as you go and keep them covered with plastic until they’re all rolled.
6. To shape the dumplings, spoon 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of a wrapper. Dampen the wrapper edges with a wet fingertip or a pastry brush. Fold the edge into pleats again and again, pinching after each fold so the dumpling closes up into a cinched purse shape. Pinch and twist the top to seal it, then set the finished dumpling on a lightly floured wooden board or a parchment-lined board.
7. Set a bamboo steamer over a wok filled with 2 inches of water. Warm it over medium high heat until the water is simmering. Line the steamer with napa cabbage leaves, then arrange the dumplings right on top of the leaves. Steam until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve right away, gently, so they stay intact.