Fried pillow dumplings (banh goi)

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Mix 300 g all-purpose flour with 3 g baking powder and 3 g salt. Melt 40 g lard, pour it over the flour and rub it in until it looks like damp sand, then gradually add 140 g warm water and knead into a smooth ball. Wrap it well and let it rest for thirty minutes. Coating the flour with fat before it meets the water makes the shell crisp and flaky instead of tough and chewy. The dough is ready when it is soft and pliable, the surface is smooth and a fingertip dent slowly fills back in.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Soak 30 g glass noodles, 10 g dried wood ear mushrooms and 10 g dried shiitake mushrooms separately in warm water for about fifteen minutes. Drain them, cut the noodles into short lengths and chop the mushrooms finely, and dice 60 g carrots. Softened, finely cut dry goods mix evenly into the meat, so every bite has a bit of everything. Everything is ready when the noodles are clear and pliable and the mushrooms have opened up and softened.

   Suggested time: about 15 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Fry 20 g minced shallots until fragrant, add 250 g ground pork and stir-fry over medium heat until it firms up, then add the mushrooms, carrots and noodles. Season with 12 g fish sauce and a pinch of ground black pepper, toss for about six minutes and let it cool. Peel 100 g quail eggs and cut them in half. Cooking the filling first dries it out, so the shell does not get soggy or crack while frying. The filling is ready when it is dry, the ingredients cling together and no liquid is left in the pan.

   Suggested time: about 6 minutes. Medium heat.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Roll the dough out to about two millimeters thick on a lightly floured surface, then use a cutter or the rim of a bowl about twelve centimeters wide to cut ten rounds. An evenly thin shell puffs and crisps all over without raw, doughy thick spots. The rounds are ready when they are evenly circular, slightly translucent and do not shrink back after cutting.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Place a spoonful of filling and half a quail egg on one half of a round, brush a little water around the edge, fold it into a half-moon, then press and twist the edge into a rope-like border. A tightly twisted edge keeps the filling from bursting out in the hot oil and gives the dumpling its signature pillow shape. The dumplings are ready when the edges are evenly sealed, the bodies are plump and neat and there are no holes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Heat the frying oil (to taste) to about 165°C, add a few dumplings at a time and fry over medium heat for about seven minutes, ladling oil over the tops and turning them evenly. A moderate temperature cooks the shell evenly crisp and heats the filling through without burning the outside. They are done when the shell is covered in tiny blisters, turns a deep golden brown and sounds crisp and dry when you lift them out.

   Suggested time: about 7 minutes. Medium heat.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Thinly slice 40 g daikon radish. Dissolve 30 g granulated sugar in 100 g water, then add 30 g fish sauce, 15 g lime juice and 5 g minced garlic, and drop in the daikon to soak. Daikon soaked in the sauce turns crunchy and sweet and cuts the richness of the fried dumplings. The sauce is ready when its sweet and sour taste is balanced and the daikon slices look slightly translucent.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Stand the dumplings upright on paper towels for about a minute, then arrange them on a plate and serve hot with a bowl of the daikon dipping sauce. Standing them up lets the oil drain off completely, so the shell stays crisp longer. They are ready when the shell feels dry to the touch and the filling is piping hot when you bite in.

   Mark step 8 as done