Mom's recipe for dough:
2 cups water
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound diced frozen chicken breast
1 goose liver from whole goose, chopped
1/2 pound duck foie gras, de-nerved
1 egg
4 cups Chinese chives, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, Sauteed lightly in canola oil and cooled
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Canola oil, to cook
8 shallots, sliced
1/4 cup Chinese black vinegar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
To make the dough, bring the water to a boil. In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine the flour and salt. Slowly add the boiling water in 1/4 cup increments, mixing with chopsticks until a ball is formed and the dough is no longer too hot to handle. All the water may not be needed. Knead the dough on a floured work surface until it becomes smooth and elastic, 15 to 20 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, return it to the bowl, and cover it with a damp cloth. Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour. To form the wrappers, add more flour to the work surface. Divide the dough in half. Shape 1 portion into a log and roll it back and forth under your palms to make a thin sausage shape measuring about 1-inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. One by one, stand each piece on end, flatten the piece with your palm, and rollout to form a circular wrapper about 3 inches in diameter and 1/16-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough. To fill the dumplings, place about 1/2 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each wrapper. Avoid getting filling on the edges of the wrapper, which would prevent proper sealing. Place another wrapper on top pressing down around filling to remove excess air. Crimp the edges together. Continue with remaining filling and wrappers.
For the filling: In a food processor, puree the chicken until smooth then add the goose liver, foie gras and egg and puree until smooth again. Do not over puree as it could break the filling. Remove from processor and fold in the chives. Season. Steam dumplings in a steamer or steamer basket for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and keep warm until serving. Meanwhile, in a medium non-reactive saucepan, coat lightly with oil and caramelize the shallots. Deglaze with both vinegars and reduce by 80 percent. Add honey and check for seasoning. Keep at room temperature.
PLATING Zig-zag syrup on a plate and top with dumplings.
BEVERAGE Brut Rose Champagne, Schramsberg
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