Chinese New Year: prawn dumplings recipes

These fried prawn dumplings are a great appetiser for Chinese New Year. 
Serve with a lettuce and carrot salad on the side 
25 January 2017

Makes 10

Ingredients
*500g raw prawns, shelled and deveined
*2 egg whites
*2 tbsp oil
*Salt and Pepper, to taste
​*1 tsp Wing Yip Sesame Oil
*30 round won ton wrappers
*Salad cream    
*Lettuce, finely shredded
*Carrot, finely shredded

Method

1. Chop the prawns until they coarsely minced and put into a bowl.

2. Lightly whisk together the egg whites, oil, salt and pepper and add to the chopped prawns. Use a whisk to combine the mixture at first, then use a rubber spatula to ensure that the prawns are thoroughly combined with the egg white mixture.

3. Form into a ball in the bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for an hour. Before you start, prepare your workstation with a small bowl of water, a tray covered with greaseproof paper, and the dumpling wrappers loosely wrapped in cling film or covered with a damp paper towel.

4. Take one wrapper at a time and place 1 tablespoon of the prawn mixture into the centre of the dumpling wrapper. Dip your finger into the bowl of water and run it around along the edge of half the wrapper. Fold over the dumpling pressing the centre together firmly, and gently pleat the wet-side of the dumpling wrapper from the centre outwards, repeating on the other side. You will generally end up 3-4 pleats on each side. Make sure that the dumpling is tightly sealed. Alternatively, you can just firmly press the edges together.

5. Repeat this step until you’ve used all the mixture, ensuring that if it is taking you a little while to cover the dumplings with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out. Once all the dumplings are made, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 10-20 minutes to help them firm up. The dumplings can be frozen at this stage if they are not going to be eaten all at once. Freeze on a tray for 2-3 hours, and place into an air tight container for up to 6 months.

6. Pre-heat your fryer to 180°c and test your oil with a cube of bread. If the bread floats to the top and is golden brown in a few seconds, the oil is ready. Fry the dumplings in batches of 4-6, depending on the size of your fryer, for 1-2 minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Drain onto kitchen paper to help remove the excess oil, and repeat for all the dumplings.

7. Serve with salad cream in a dish on the side, and with the lettuce and carrot salad.

More Chinese New Year recipes:

Find more recipes online at Wing Yip