Dumping Dumplings - Sticky Dumpling Casserole

It was Tuesday  afternoon - press day - I’d started writing first thing in the morning, as usual, and had forgotten to consume anything other than a cup or two of coffee. I was starving, the kind of hunger where your brain can’t string a thought together beyond “food, now.”

The fridge mocked me with half-empty condiment bottles and a lonely carrot and turmeric root. But then I remembered the bag of frozen dumplings hiding in the freezer - little lifesavers in pleated dough.

I didn’t have the patience for boiling water or fiddling with dipping sauces, so I went rogue: dumpling casserole.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 tablespoons red curry paste (depending how spicy you like it)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup sheet chili sauce

1/3 cup beef broth

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey or sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 large garlic clove

1 teaspoon of fresh ginger

1 tablespoon butter

16-20 dumplings of choice - I used the frozen ones below

Garnish ideas - sesame seeds, sliced green onions, cilantro/coriander, chili crisp oil

METHOD

*I actually enjoy the process of making dumplings, shaping pasta, etc. But again, it was Tuesday. And I think these organic, frozen ones I occasionally get from Wegman’s are actually very good. No thawing necessary.

In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter over medium heat.

Place the dumplings in the pan and let them brown for a few minutes. Turn them over and do the same.

If you’re not on a tight schedule like I was, you can add some bok choy or shredded cabbage to the pan to make it more of a meal. If you do, double the butter to two tablespoons.

In a mixing bowl, mix the first ten ingredients.

If you are serving with rice or noodles, add ½ cup of water to create a more brothy consistency. Pour the liquid mix over the dumplings in the pan.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20 minutes covered, then remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the broth is nice and bubbly and the dumplings have are slightly crisp on the top.

What came out was bubbling, sweet-salty-spicy dumpling glory. The sauce had reduced to a lacquer that clung to the wrappers. The dumplings were tender on the inside, slightly crisped on the outside.

I tossed in some chopped scallions at the last second, mostly to convince myself I’d cooked a real meal.

I ate one  straight out of the baking dish, before I took two bowls to the office for Amanda and myself - no regrets. Hardly gourmet, but it tasted like a mashup of  takeout and a home-cooked hug.