Pan-Fried Chicken Juicy Dumplings, known as “鸡汁锅贴” in Chinese, stand out as a popular snack originating from Sichuan and Chongqing. The dish involves finely chopping fresh lean pork, combining it with seasonings and chicken broth to create a savory filling, and then wrapping it in dumpling wrappers. The main characteristics of this culinary delight are its crispiness, tenderness, and delightful flavor.
The creation of Chicken Juicy Dumplings is attributed to “Qiu Er Guan” in Chongqing during the 1940s. The name comes from the use of chicken broth in the filling. The dumplings have a golden and crispy base, soft and delicate skin, and a filling that is tender and flavorful. This dish gained popularity across Sichuan and is widely made in major cities within the province. In Chengdu, during the 1950s, a specialized “Chicken Juicy Dumplings Shop” was established under the General Supply and Marketing Cooperative, dedicated to serving this unique dish. When served with simmering chicken soup, the flavor is enhanced, making it a highly appreciated dish among customers.
Ingredients (for 50 dumplings):
- 500g premium flour
- 10g Shaoxing wine
- 100g chicken broth
- 50g ginger
- 500g lean pork
- 2g ground black pepper
- 5g monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- 10g salt
- 10g sugar
- 100g rendered pork fat
- 50g green onions
- 10g sesame oil
Cooking Steps:
- Prepare the filling. Clean and chop the pork into fine mince. Crush the ginger, and pat it together with chopped green onions. Soak them in 100g of water. Place the minced pork in a bowl, add chicken broth, and vigorously stir in one direction until the pork absorbs all the chicken broth. Add MSG, black pepper, sugar, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and the soaked ginger-green onion mixture. Mix well to create the filling.
- Make the dough. Reserve a small amount of flour for dusting, and mix the remaining flour with hot water at around 80 degrees Celsius. Knead until even, then let it cool on a board. Roll and knead it into a uniform strip, then divide it into 10 equal portions. Roll each portion into a round dumpling wrapper.
- Wrap and shape the dumplings. Take one wrapper, place about 15g of filling in the center, and fold it into a semi-circular shape, resembling a bean sprout.
- Pan-fry the dumplings. Use a flat pan over low heat, arrange the dumplings neatly, drizzle 50g of rendered pork fat, and sprinkle 100g of water. Cover the pan and continuously rotate it to ensure even heating. When the water in the pan evaporates, add another 50g of rendered pork fat, cover, and continue pan-frying for 3 minutes until the dumpling base turns golden brown.
Common Issues and Solutions:
- Lack of tenderness in the filling: Ensure that the meat is finely minced, and add the chicken broth gradually while stirring to avoid this issue.
- Burnt dumpling base: Clean the pan thoroughly before use, rotate the pan during frying for even heating, and be attentive to adding water and pork fat when necessary to prevent burning.
- Dry and tough dumpling skin: Sprinkle an adequate amount of water during pan-frying, especially on areas with white spots, to prevent dryness and toughness.