Chinese  New  Year

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons sesame paste
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons chopped scallion or leek, white part only
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chili oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon tamari or light soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorn powder

Dumplings:

• 1 package fresh or frozen wonton skins
• 8 ounces pork, finely ground, and 3 ounces pork fat, finely ground
• 1 leek, minced
• 8 water chestnuts, minced
• 3 dried black mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt

Thaw wonton skins and cover with a cloth to prevent them from drying out. Cut into 4-inch strips and pass through the thinnest setting on a pasta machine, or roll out thin on a lightly floured worktop. Cut into 2 ½ to 3 inch squares.

Combine the filling ingredients in a food processor and process to a smooth paste.

Place 1 ½ teaspoons of the filling in the center of each wonton skin. Brush the edges with cold water, fold into a triangle, and pinch the edges together to seal. Fold together the two outer points, and pinch to seal.

Dilute the sesame paste with chicken stock, add the remaining sauce ingredients, mix thoroughly and set aside.

Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the dumplings and poach until they float to the surface, cook for about 2 minutes more, then retrieve with a wire ladle.

Divide the dumplings among soup bowls and pour on the sauce. Serve immediately.