Lunar New Year Lucky Dumplings (Recipe!)

In Chinese homes, dumplings (or jiaozi in Mandarin) are a traditional must-eat food on New Year’s Eve; families wrap them up and eat them as the clock strikes midnight. Dumplings symbolize longevity and wealth; their shape resembles gold shoe-shaped ingots, an early form of Chinese currency. This delicious recipe for shrimp and scallop scallion dumplings can even be frozen, for good fortune well into the new year. —Matina Somlai

Shrimp and Scallop Scallion Dumplings

Dipping Sauce:

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp sriracha or sambal

Dumplings:

5 large scallions, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 inch ginger, minced or grated (about 2 tbsp)
3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 cup fresh or thawed scallops, chopped (340 g)
1 cup fresh or thawed shrimp, chopped (340 g)
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Homemade or store-bought dumpling wrappers

For the dipping sauce, combine all ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl, and set aside. Mix all ingredients for the dumpling filling in a medium bowl with a spoon. Have a little dish with water next to you while you work on filling and pleating your dumplings. Have a baking sheet or surface area with a little bit of flour dusted on top to place the dumplings on as they’re made. Place a tablespoon of filling in the centre of the wrapper, and lightly brush the edge of the wrapper with water using your fingers. Either pleat into a half-moon shape, or fold the edges together, twist and pinch to seal. Set dumplings on the lightly floured baking sheet/surface area until ready to cook. Over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of sesame oil or a neutral oil to a non-stick pan. Add dumplings around the pan flat-side down, fitting as many as you can without touching. Pan-fry the dumplings until the bottom starts to brown (2-3 mins). Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1/4 cup water, cover the pan and allow the dumplings to steam for 4-6 minutes, until all the water has evaporated and dumplings are cooked through. Serve with chili oil drizzled on top, a sprinkle of scallions and dipping sauce. Makes 30-40 dumplings.

Notes: If you make extra and want to freeze some, you can place an uncovered tray of dumplings in the freezer until fully frozen, then transfer the frozen dumplings to a freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. These can stay in the freezer for up to 2 months. To cook, follow the method above, steaming for an extra 5-6 minutes. Additionally, you can use only shrimp or only scallops in the recipe, if preferred.

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