Bite with Belkys: Organic Basil Chicken Dumplings

The Chef: Joshua Marcus
The Restaurant: Chow Down Grill in Surfside
The Dish: Organic Basil Chicken Dumplings

Ingredients for dumpling filling
1 lb ground chicken
1oz soy sauce
1oz hoisin sauce
2 oz chopped cilantro
2 oz chopped basil
2 oz chopped scallions
1 oz garlic and ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

 Method of preparation for filling:
-Start by mixing the ground chicken in a bowl and add the scallions, cilantro and basil and blend well.

-Now, add the wet ingredients a little at a time each: First, add the soy sauce, then- the hoisin sauce, garlic and ginger, sesame oil, rice wine and mirin. Mix while you're adding the entire time- and if the mixture seems too wet-- add a little more ground chicken. The mixture should be the consistency of meatballs- which hold together in a ball.

Ingredients for the dough
10 oz all purpose flour
3/4 cup hot water

Method of preparation for the dough
-Put flour in a bowl and add hot water a little at a time while mixing. Mix in a blender or by hand or a spoon until a ball forms.

-Sprinkle flour on a flat work surface kneed for a few minutes until the dough starts to toughen. Then let it rest.

-Now, cut the rested dough into four equal parts. Roll out one at a time into a roughly 12 inch cylinder. Then cut this roughly into one inch pieces.

-Flatten each piece with your hand and with a rolling pin roll out into a 3 in circle. Place 2 tbls of filling in the middle of the disk and fold the disk in half making a little half moon shape.

-Steam or boil these dumplings. Steam chicken dumplings for 12 minutes before serving. If you boil them, you'll know they're done when they float to the surface.

-To plate, serve the dumplings with your favorite condiment.

Serving suggestion:
-Serves 5-6 people

-Serve up with a nice cold pale ale