Winter Warmers - Slow Ham Bone Soup

Recently I picked up some weekend work at a lovely restaurant in the city. The boss has a marvelous personality and the food is delectable. It's been interesting getting to know how things go in food service, as I have visited many restaurants but never before worked in one. Working around food fortunately comes with some delicious perks like the little table by the kitchen door that treats of extras appear on for the waitstaff to nibble. And, as the place closes on Sunday and Monday, the staff get any leftover ingredients to take home as they wish.

Last week I picked up a bag of ham bones and bacon/salami trimmings, and in the spirit of the cold weather made a delightfully hearty pork soup with melting pieces of smoked ham, cabbage, butter beans and potato. The pork was reminiscent of the boiling bacon my dad used to cook up on cool nights, served with sauerkraut and mustard.

I added some fennel seeds for a lighter flavour and after being cooked for the 3-4hrs they turned soft and palatable, weakening in aroma. Surprisingly yum.

Ham Bone Soup

Serves 4

1 meaty leftover ham bone, or 1 smoked pork hock
1 brown onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
~5 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
a pinch of fennel seeds (optional)
400g cooked butter beans, or 1 handful dry
~1 cup chopped cabbage (any type really, just not chinese)
2 large potatoes, chopped in to chunks


Add the pork, onion, garlic, pepper, bay, fennel and (if using) dry beans to a large pot. Fill with water until the hock is covered. Don't add salt at this stage as the meat should be seasoned which will draw out in to the soup as it cooks, also it will mess up the bean cooking process.

Bring to the boil and skim if needed, turn to low and simmer for 3-4hrs or until the meat is tender and the beans are cooked. But don't forget...

About half an hour before ready to serve, increase the heat and add the potato, then 5 minutes prior add the cabbage. Boil until softened.  Break the meat off and remove the bones. Leave the peppercorns for your least favourite guest.

Pour in to a bowl and enjoy on the sofa wrapped in a blanket.

Dumplings!

Dumplings are definitely one of my favourite foods. I've recently been visiting Dumpling King my favourite place to eat them at least once a week on lunch dates between classes so haven't been making them at home as often. But when I do I make sure to make lots!

Initially the folding is a bit tricky but after a bit of practice it's quite easy to pick up. The filling can also be used to make mini dim sims which are very easy to assemble using wonton wrappers.

The dumpling skins are so delicious and chewy, don't be fooled in to thinking they're hard to make and buy pre-made ones, it's literally just flour and water! Everyone is so shocked when I tell them that.

I learned to make dumplings from my farther, funnily enough my dad is Swiss and mum Chinese but it was him who taught me. So anyway...

The recipe yields approx 40 dumplings which makes 4 generous servings.

Dumpling Wrappers

3 cups plain flour
1 cup water
A pinch of salt

Prepare this before the filling and let it rest in a covered bowl, this will let the dough relax and become smooth/easier to handle. Just like pasta dough! So add water to flour gradually until you have a soft but not wet dough. Knead for a few minutes then rest for 10, knead again then rest while you make the filling. Make sure you cover the bowl so the dough doesn't dry out!

Pork and Cabbage Filling

500g pork mince
3 cups shredded cabbage (chinese or regular, whatever your preference)
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp shao xing cooking wine*
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp grated ginger
1 clove grated garlic
4 finely sliced spring onions/scallions
pepper to taste (no salt because of soy and shao xing)

*The cooking wine is easily available in most Chinese grocers and is around $1.50-$3 for a cheap bottle. It's great added to stir fry's and such so a worthy investment although you can make the dumplings without it.

Chop the cabbage up how you wish, I do a fine slice usually then chop over it after but if you like it  chunkier just go with that. In a large bowl add the cabbage, seasonings, onion; and grate garlic and ginger in to the pork mince. Thoroughly mix through (hands are the best way).

So that's your dumpling mixture done. Leave it aside and grab your dough.

Chop the dough in to 4 portions and roll each in to a log, chop the log in to tablespoon sized pieces.

Shape each piece using your hands or a rolling pin in to a round flat wrapper. Place a heaped teaspoon of the filling in to the center of the wrapper and fold closed - using water to seal the edges if necessary. I roll as I go because the dough is so elastic if you pre-roll the wrappers they'll just spring back and you'll need to re-roll anyway but make sure you keep your dough covered so it doesn't dry out.

roll out/squash dough

fill with pork mix

close the middle first

then pinch shut from middle to edges

to make it a bit fancy fold the edges inwards twice on each side

(pinch two areas about 1cm apart and pull them past each other making an S shape then pinch together)

Lay the dumplings on greaseproof paper or a floured surface until they're ready to be cooked. (They can also be frozen at this stage. I pop them in the freezer on a cutting board then after an hour or so - once they're solid, I portion them in to zip lock bags ready to be boiled and devoured)

When cooking the dumplings, have a large pot of salted boiling water, add them and once the water re-boils add a cup of cold water. Do this again, and once it re-boils again they are done. My dad claims that this is the traditional Chinese way, and it's what I do, but if you want; about 10-15mins if you're making large ones or just cut one open and check!

Serve with a dipping sauce of 1/4 rice vinegar to 3/4 soy mixed with some chopped garlic and chili and enjoy!

Tip: You can vary the filling however you like substituting pork for chicken mince and/or half the mince for chopped prawn meat.