People along the Yangtze River enjoy dumplings with a variety of fillings, from seafood to red meat, eggs to vegetables. In Wuhan, dumplings may be served at any meal. Crisp, pan-fried dumplings don’t have to be loaded with fat. Cooking them in a mix of water and oil makes them crisp on the bottom, tender and juicy inside.

Makes 36 dumplings, for 12 appetizer servings

ACTIVE TIME: 1 hour

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

8 ounces scallops, minced
4 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and minced
1/2 cup minced scallions
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
36 round (gyoza) dumpling wrappers (see Kitchen Tip)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3/4 cup water, divided
Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce (recipe follows), optional

1. Combine scallops, shrimp, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Organize your work area with a bowl of cold water, your stack of dumpling wrappers and a floured baking sheet to hold filled dumplings.
3. Working with one dumpling wrapper at a time, dip your finger into the water and moisten the edges of the circle. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling into the center. Fold the wrapper over to form a half circle. Pinch the edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Cover the wrappers and finished dumplings with moist paper towels to prevent drying.
4. Preheat oven to 200°F.
5. Mix 1 tablespoon canola oil with 1/4 cup water in a large nonstick skillet and place over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Carefully arrange one-third of the dumplings in the skillet so they are not touching; cover and cook until the dumplings puff up and are light brown on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip the dumplings with tongs and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer the dumplings to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.
6. Repeat the procedure with another 1/4 cup water, the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil and half the remaining dumplings. Cook the final batch of dumplings in the remaining 1/4 cup water, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent scorching. (There will be enough oil left in the pan for the final batch.) Serve hot with Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce, if desired.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per dumpling: 42 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 0 g fiber; 91 mg sodium; 37 mg potassium.

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch

TIP: Kitchen Tip: The best dumpling wrappers for this recipe are round “gyoza” wrappers. Look for them in Asian markets. Or substitute square wonton wrappers and use a 3- to 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter to cut each wrapper into a circle (they need not be perfectly round).

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare filling (Step 1); cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 week.

Ginger/Garlic and dipping sauce were very well received and an excellent, easy dumpling recipe.

Russ , Hillsboro, OR

Simply delicious! They are fragile and tend to tear easily when turning them. But so tasty, even the torn ones!

Mary R., Stockton, CA