Dumpling Soup with Homemade Chicken Stock and Pork Dumplings

Method

1. Prepare the chicken stock.Rinse the whole chicken thoroughly under cold water. Place the 2 to 3 inches of sliced ginger inside the cavity of the chicken. Put the chicken into a large pot and cover completely with cold water. Add the whole garlic bulb (halved horizontally), 3 to 4 whole star anise, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup soy sauce, and 1/3 cup Chinese cooking wine. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 45 to 60 minutes. Turn off the heat, keep the lid on, and leave the chicken in the pot for 2 hours to finish cooking gently. Remove the chicken, discard the skin and excess fat, and strain the stock. Set aside 6 cups of the stock for the soup. Reserve the remaining stock and chicken meat for another use.
2. Prepare the dumpling filling.Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic, the red chilli, and the spring onions. Roughly chop the coriander and water chestnuts. In a large bowl, combine the 500 g pork mince, chopped coriander, red chilli, 3 cloves garlic, water chestnuts, spring onions, juice of 1 lime, a generous splash of soy sauce, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a splash of rice wine vinegar. Mix well until evenly combined.
3. Form the dumplings.Place a small spoonful of the pork mixture in the centre of a dumpling wrapper. Lightly wet the edge with water, fold in half, and pleat or press the edges firmly to seal. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. Keep the dumplings covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying out.
4. Prepare the soup base.In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil over medium heat. Finely mince the remaining 4 cloves of garlic and 1 tablespoon of peeled ginger. Slice the 4 spring onions, separating whites and greens. Add the garlic, ginger, and white parts of the spring onions to the pot and cook until fragrant.
5. Build the broth.Pour in 6 cups of the homemade chicken stock. Stir in 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a gentle boil.
6. Cook the dumplings.Carefully add the prepared dumplings to the boiling broth. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are cooked through and float to the surface.
7. Add the vegetables.Thinly slice the wombok and shred the carrot if not already prepared. Add the 3 cups baby spinach, sliced wombok, and 1 cup shredded carrot to the pot. Cook for 1 minute, just until the vegetables are wilted but still fresh.
8. Serve.Ladle the dumplings and soup into bowls. Top with the green parts of the spring onions, extra fresh coriander, chopped peanuts, lemon slices, and toasted sesame seeds before serving.