Ginkgos are infamous for the acrid smell of their fruit, but the nuts hidden inside are a treasured ingredient in Asian cuisine. In and around the Chinatown neighborhoods of many cities, you can find people under trees collecting the nuts in autumn. Go out and join them, but be sure to wear protective gloves when touching the fruit and extracting the nuts; otherwise, the smell will remain on your hands. Remove the flesh outdoors—the less you bring into your home the better. You can find canned or dried ginkgos in Asian grocery stores.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 24 dumplings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
If you are using fresh ginkgo nuts, gently crack the shells. Blanch the nuts in salted water for 1 minute, then shock in ice water. Alternatively, toast the nuts in a dry skillet until they turn green. After blanching or toasting, rub off the papery skin using your fingers or a clean kitchen towel. If you are using canned ginkgos, simply rinse.
Step 2
Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the nuts and a dash of salt. Cook for 1 minute. Add the scallion whites, the ginger, and mirin and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool and return the pan to the stove. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and sauté the bok choy with a dash of salt until the leaves are cooked down to half their original size. The bok choy should be mostly dry when you add it to the pan; otherwise, the dumpling filling will be wet. Remove the bok choy from the heat and let cool.
Step 3
Put the nuts and bok choy in the bowl of a food processor. Add all but 2 teaspoons of the scallion greens. Pulse until the mixture is blended but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt.
Step 4
In a small bowl, whisk the flour with 2 tablespoons water. Brush the edges of a dumpling wrapper with the flour paste. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling on the wrapper and fold the wrapper into a half moon. Press the edges to seal. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers and filling.
Step 5
To make the dipping sauce, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, and the reserved scallion greens. Add red pepper flakes if desired.
Step 6
Steam the dumplings in a covered steamer basket for 4 minutes. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.
