Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Teochew Fish Dumplings
潮州魚餃
Recipe overview
Boneless fish and potato starch form a thin fish wrapper around a pork filling. This is real fish-paste skin, not a standard wheat wonton wrapper.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 300 g, skinned and thoroughly deboned boneless white fish fillets
- 60 g plus a little for dusting potato starch
- 120 g minced pork
- 1 litre for cooking water
- 1/8 tsp for fish skin salt
Filling seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
02
Tools
- fish-bone tweezers
- knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowls
- wrap
- rolling pin
- small spoon
- large pot
- slotted spoon
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Check fish bones
Feel along every fillet and remove skin, sinew and all bones; pat dry.
Step 2
Scrape fish flesh
Scrape clean flesh with the back of a knife, leaving tough membrane behind.
Step 3
Chop fish paste
Chop repeatedly until fine and sticky.
Step 4
Knead in starch
Add potato starch and salt; knead to a fish dough that can be rolled.
Step 5
Chill dough
Wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes to keep it cool.
Step 6
Mix pork filling
Combine pork, soy, sesame oil and pepper; refrigerate until needed.
Step 7
Portion dough
Divide fish dough into 24 pieces and dust the bench lightly with starch.
Step 8
Roll thin wrappers
Roll each to about 8 cm across and 2–3 mm thick.
Step 9
Add filling
Put about one teaspoon pork in the middle of each wrapper.
Step 10
Seal dumplings
Fold over and press edges firmly with no filling exposed.
Step 11
Simmer gently
Keep water at a gentle simmer; cook in batches for about 8–10 minutes without rough stirring.
Step 12
Verify and serve
Check the largest pork centre reaches 75°C for 30 seconds and fish skin is cooked; serve with a little clear broth.
Common mistakes
- Fish bones left inside
- Substituting ordinary wheat wrappers
- Wrappers too thick or overfilled
- Pork filling undercooked
Tips
Keep fish dough and filling chilled, roll fish skin thin, simmer gently and check the largest dumpling centre.
