Steamed Ricotta Dumplings Recipes

RICOTTA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, cheese, egg yolk, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until combined. Sift 1/2 cup flour over mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold together. Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and sift remaining flour over top. With fingertips, gently incorporate flour into dough and lightly knead just until dough comes together (do not overwork dough).
• Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 3/4 inch thick and 20 inches long. With a knife or dough scraper, cut each log into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Drop pieces into boiling water. Cook until they plump up and float to surface, 2 minutes. Drain dumplings and shake off excess water.
• In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium. When it sizzles, add dumplings and cook, undisturbed, until golden on one side, 6 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with cheese. Serve warm.

STEAMED RICOTTA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Line a strainer with double layer of cheesecloth. Put ricotta in strainer; place strainer over a bowl. Cover; refrigerate overnight. Discard liquid. Transfer ricotta to a medium bowl; add prosciutto, Parmesan, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Lightly dust a parchment-lined baking pan with cornstarch, and set aside. Place a dumpling skin on a clean surface. Using your fingertip, wet edge of both sides of skin. Place 2 teaspoons of ricotta mixture in center. Draw up edges; make a small pleat. Squeeze pleat firmly together; continue making pleats until dumpling is sealed. Place completed dumpling on prepared pan. Loosely cover with plastic wrap. Repeat process, using remaining skins and filling.
• Fill a wok or a high-sided saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, bringing water to a simmer. Using a pastry brush, generously brush top and bottom compartments of large bamboo steamer basket with oil. Brush any excess cornstarch from dumplings; arrange loosely in compartments. Assemble steamer, cover, and place over simmering water. Steam until wrappers are soft and filling is heated through, about 8 minutes, switching top and bottom compartments halfway through steaming.
• Pour 1 teaspoon tomato sauce into a Chinese soupspoon, and place a dumpling on top; if using another vessel, serve sauce on side. Garnish with basil leaf, and serve.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Bring a large, wide pot of salted water to a simmer. Put the spinach in a large bowl and separate it with your hands. Add the ricotta, 3/4 cup parmesan, the flour, eggs, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the nutmeg. Mix with a fork to form a slightly sticky dough.
• Spread some flour on a plate. Scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of the spinach-ricotta mixture and roll into about 24 loose balls using floured hands. Gently roll the balls in the flour.
• Bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the butter.
• Meanwhile, gently lower the dumplings into the simmering water and cook until they rise to the surface and are firm, about 5 minutes. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon, letting the water drain off, and add to the sauce. Gently toss to coat, then transfer to plates and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan. Serve with bread.

RICOTTA DUMPLINGS WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and lemon juice and sauté until mushrooms are brown, about 6 minutes. Add dry vermouth. Boil 3 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Set aside. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Blend ricotta, yolks and 1 tablespoon Parmesan in processor. Add flour and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. In medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into ricotta mixture in 2 additions. Fold in breadcrumbs.
• Pour water into heavy large skillet to depth of 2 inches. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons into water. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Turn dumplings over, cover pan and cook 3 minutes longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to paper towels and drain.
• Bring mushroom sauce to simmer. Add 6 tablespoons butter and stir just until melted. Place dumplings on platter and spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan and chives.

RICOTTA DUMPLINGS WITH RED PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the sauce, place the red pepper chunks and tomato in a saucepan with 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low, cover and boil gently for 10 minutes. Push the mixture through a food mill.
• Return the pureed mixture to the saucepan, and stir in the salt, pepper and dissolved cornstarch. Bring to a boil, add the butter and oil and emulsify with a hand blender for about 15 seconds. Keep the sauce warm while making the dumplings.
• For the dumplings, bring 3 quarts of water to a simmer in a pot. Meanwhile, place the ricotta, salt, pepper, eggs, Parmesan and flour in the bowl of a food processor, and process at maximum speed for 10 seconds. Transfer the dumpling batter to a bowl, and mix in the chives.
• Make the dumplings in two batches, dropping the batter, one tablespoon at a time, as quickly as possible into the hot water. Let the dumplings cook just below the boil, at a low simmer, for 10 minutes. (The dumplings will rise to the top of the water and float as they cook.)
• After 10 minutes, lift the dumplings with a slotted spoon, drain well, arrange on a platter and keep warm while making the rest of the dumplings. When the second batch is cooked, add them to the platter or divide all the dumplings among individual plates. Spoon on the warm red pepper sauce, and serve with a few sprinklings of Parmesan.

RICOTTA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix the cheese, egg and yolk, mint, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Add the flour and stir with the fork until a dough is formed.
• Using two slightly wet spoons or a piping bag, form dumplings (see Notes) and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. After all the dumplings are formed, lightly dust their tops with flour and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 6 hours.
• Cook the blue berries, sugar, butter, lemon zest, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and bubbly. Set aside to cool slightly. Remove the cinnamon stick.
• When ready to cook the dumplings, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, gently place the dumplings in the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a clean dish towel to drain.
• Serve the dumplings in a pool of warm blueberry compote.
• Place the ricotta in a colander lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and let the excess watery whey drip into a bowl underneath for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• To form the dumplings with dinner spoons, scoop up some of the ricotta mixture with one spoon, and using a second spoon, scrape it onto the floured sheet. To pipe them, use a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip to pipe out 2-inch-long dumplings.
• Use a linen dish towel that won't get strings or lint on the dumplings.
• This compote is also awfully good made with stone fruits.

STEAMED BEEF DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• For dough, combine flour, the 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2/3 cup boiling water in a medium mixing bowl, stirring constantly with a fork. Add 1/4 cup cold water; mix with your hands until dough forms a ball. (The dough will be sticky.) Cover; set aside.
• NOTE: I had to add a little bit more water than posted; go by the look and feel.
• For filling, stir together hoisin and cornstrach in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in finely diced bok choy, carrot, finely sliced green onion, cilantro and salt. Add ground beef; mix well. Using about 1 tablespoon of the filling for each, shape filling into 30 balls. Set aside.
• NOTE: I used an egg ring to form the wraps; made it easier for filling.
• Divide dough in half. Return one portion to the bowl; cover and set aside. Divide the other portion into 15 balls. On a well-floured surface, roll each dough ball into a 3-inch circle. Place a meatball in the center of each circle. Fold the dough up and around all but the top of the meatball, pleating dough firmly. Gently flatten the bottom of each dumpling. Repeat with remaining dough and meatballs to make 30 dumplings total.
• NOTE: Keep a moistened towel over the wontons so they do not dry out while you continue to make the batch.
• Bring water to boiling in a steamer or Dutch oven. Place dumplings, open sides up, on a greased steamer rack; make sure the dumplings don't touch one another. (If all the dumplings won't fit on a steamer rack, refrigerate remainder until ready to steam.) Place rack over, but not touching, boiling water. Cover and steam dumplings for 16 to 18 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Meanwhile, combine rice vinegar and soy sauce. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon thinly sliced green onion. Serve with dumplings.
• NOTE: Used a rice steamer and oil sprayed the top insert each time.

STEAMED TURKEY DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Mix ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper for seasoning mix together in a large bowl. Add turkey, egg, soy sauce, bread crumbs, and garlic for wontons; mix well.
• Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a skillet. Spray the inside of a steamer basket with cooking spray.
• While water is coming to a boil, place wonton wrappers on a smooth surface. Place small rounded scoops of turkey mixture into the center of each wonton. Lightly brush the outer edges with water, bring corners of each wonton up toward the center, and pinch edges to seal. Place wontons into the steamer basket.
• Reduce heat under the skillet to a simmer and place steamer basket inside. Cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each wonton reads at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 5 to 7 minutes.
• While wontons are steaming, combine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil for sauce in a small bowl; mix well.
• Carefully transfer steamed wontons to a serving platter and serve with sauce.

STEAMED OPEN-TOPPED DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Place the ground pork in a mixing bowl. Wrap the shrimp or scallops in a dish towel or paper towels and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Dice the shrimp or scallops fine and add to bowl. Add remaining ingredients, through the cornstarch, and then stir vigorously.
• Line steamer trays with lightly oiled parchment or punch lightly oiled aluminum pie plates with holes. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling in the middle of one dumpling skin and gather the edges of the skin around the filling, leaving the top open. Pick it up and press bottom flat to it will stand upright. Dip the back of a spoon in water and smooth the filling on top. Arrange the dumplings 1/4-inch apart.
• Fill a wok or a pot with water and bring to boil. Place the steamer trays with the dumplings over the boiling water and steam 15 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Mix soy sauce and black vinegar and use as a dip.