Every Year Is the Year of the Dumpling
《纽约时报》教你包饺子
Dumplings are said to bring good fortune, and eating them is a time-honored traditional way to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb. 19 this year. So why not rally a few friends for a little homemade dumpling feast?
据说饺子能带来好运，吃饺子是中国农历新年(今年是2月19日)的悠久传统。那么，何不约上三五好友，来个小小的家庭自制饺子宴呢?
I’m not recommending an elaborate dim sum spread at home. That’s a daunting concept, unless you have a kitchen equipped with bamboo steamers and woks, and a small army of skilled cooks with cleavers.
我不是要劝你在家做复杂的中式点心。那实在是令人望而却步的事情——除非你家里有蒸笼、炒锅，以及几位刀功了得的厨子。
But good dumplings (or won tons) are well within a home cook’s reach and, frankly, are often better than what is served at restaurants.
但是饺子(或馄饨)完全是能在家里自己搞定的，而且说实话，家里做的饺子往往比餐馆的还好吃。
Don’t misunderstand — there are many fine Chinese restaurants serving impeccable delicate dumplings, the likes of which no amateur could reproduce. But we all know that sad, thick-doughed, stodgy, indifferent dumplings abound. Factory-made and frozen, they are cheap and filling. Dunking them in a spicy dipping sauce makes them edible, barely.
不要误会：有很多优质中式餐馆供应无可挑剔的精致饺子，那是业余厨师难以超越的。但是我们都知道，到处都有那种难看、厚皮、硬实、难吃的饺子。它们是工厂加工的速冻饺子，很便宜，也能很快填饱肚子。要在辣蘸汁里蘸一下，才能勉强下咽。
I’m here to tell you that it’s not that hard to make good ones, so don’t settle.
我在这里想跟你说的是，做出好饺子并不是很难，所以没必要将就着吃速冻饺子。
If you want to go all out, you can make your own dough — it’s a basic one, made with just flour and water, which you then form into little blobs and roll to a flat circle. But why complicate matters? Opt for store-bought wrappers, then be sure to have a delicious filling. I like a hand-chopped mixture of shrimp and scallops, seasoned simply with ginger, scallions, hot pepper and sesame oil. It takes no time to put together, and can even be prepared a day in advance.
如果你想大干一场，可以自己做面团——这是包饺子必不可少的东西，它由面粉和水做成，然后你把它分成很多小团，擀成圆片。但是为什么要搞得那么复杂呢?还不如去商店买现成的饺子皮，然后确保你做的馅料美味就行了。我喜欢手剁的虾和扇贝混合馅料，只用简单地加入姜、葱、辣椒和芝麻油。这种馅料很快就能做好，甚至可以提前一天做好。
Rope a friend into helping stuff and crimp the wrappers. It’s a surprisingly rapid business. I like to cook a dozen at a time, enough to give four diners a few dumplings to drizzle with a savory chile-spiked vinegar dressing.
找一个朋友帮忙做馅料，包饺子。速度会快得出乎你的预料。我喜欢一次煮12个，够四个人每人吃上几个，上面洒一点美味的辣椒醋调味汁。
The beauty of it all is this: Once the dumplings hit boiling water, you are a mere four minutes away from a bowlful of pleasure. Of course you’ll want more than one bowlful. Not a problem — simply repeat as necessary.
这一切的迷人之处在于：把饺子放入沸水之后，你只用等四分钟就能享用一碗美味了。当然你可能还想多来几碗。没问题，重复上述过程就行了。
INGREDIENTS
配料：
FOR THE DUMPLINGS:
饺子配料：
• ½ pound sea scallops, roughly chopped
0.5磅海扇贝，粗略切碎
• ½ pound shrimp, peeled, cleaned and roughly chopped
0.5磅虾，去皮，洗净，粗略切碎
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1茶匙粗盐
• ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
0.5茶匙粗磨黑胡椒
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
1汤匙姜末
• ⅓ cup chopped scallions
1/3杯葱末
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1茶匙烤芝麻油
• ½ cup chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems, plus a few sprigs for garnish
1/2杯切碎的香菜(叶子和嫩茎)，留几根梗装饰用
• 1 serrano chile, finely chopped
1个墨西哥辣椒，切碎
• 40 round dumpling wrappers, 3 1/2-inch diameter
40个圆饺子皮，直径3.5英寸
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
蘸汁配料：
• ½ cup rice vinegar
1/2杯米醋
• 1 teaspoon spicy sesame oil
1茶匙辣芝麻油
• 2 scallions, thinly slivered
2根大葱，切成小片
PREPARATION
制作方法：
1. Put chopped scallops and shrimp in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, chopped cilantro and serrano chile. Mix well with a wooden spoon, then cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (Mixture may be prepared up to 1 day ahead.) You should have about 2 1/2 cups filling.
1. 把切碎的扇贝和虾放入碗中。加入盐、胡椒、姜末、葱末、芝麻油、切碎的香菜和墨西哥辣椒。用木勺搅拌，然后盖上盖子，至少冷藏一个小时(馅料最长可提前一天做好)。做好的馅料应该有约2.5杯。
2. Working in batches, line up dumpling wrappers on a work surface. Place 2 teaspoons filling in the center of each wrapper. Lightly moisten the edge of each wrapper with water and pinch together to surround filling and form a half-moon. Pleat edges to secure the seal.
2. 分批做。把饺子皮在工作台上一字排开。在每个饺子皮中央放两茶匙馅料。用水把饺子皮的边缘微微弄湿，把馅料裹在中间，捏成半月形。把边缘弄成褶皱状，以密封严实。
3. Bring a large low pot of well-salted water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce: Whisk together rice vinegar, spicy sesame oil and slivered scallions in a small serving dish.
3. 用大火把一大浅锅加盐的水烧开。在此期间做蘸汁：把米醋、辣芝麻油和小葱片放入一个小盘中搅拌。
4. Add 12 dumplings at a time to the pot. When they bob to the surface, simmer 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon or spider. Serve each person 3 or 4 dumplings in a small bowl. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon dipping sauce and garnish with cilantro sprigs.
4. 每次往锅中放入12个饺子。饺子浮到水面后，小火煮4分钟，然后用漏勺或笊篱捞出来。用小碗给每人盛三至四个饺子。洒上一茶匙蘸汁，用香菜梗装饰。
