Crown daisy and pork dumplings
Juicy pork dumplings with fragrant crown daisy greens, made in a weekend batch and frozen, then boiled in minutes and dipped in black vinegar.
- 28 min
- Serves 2
- Boil
- Medium
Why it suits you: Qi-stagnant types are prone to low moods and a tight chest, and the short, dark days of early winter make it worse. Crown daisy has a fresh, aromatic scent that loosens the chest, moves qi and wakes the appetite. Fold a tray of dumplings at the weekend and freeze them, then boil a few in the morning and dip them in black vinegar.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 8 min- 1Wash the crown daisy, blanch for 10 seconds, refresh in cold water, squeeze dry and chop finely.
- 2Mix the pork with the ginger, soy sauce, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp water, stirring in one direction until sticky. Fold in the crown daisy, spring onion and sesame oil.
- 3Put a teaspoon of filling in each wrapper, fold in half and pinch the edges firmly. Make extra to freeze.
- 4Drop the dumplings into boiling water. When it returns to the boil, add half a bowl of cold water; repeat twice. They're done when they float (8 minutes from frozen).
- 5Drain and serve with the black vinegar for dipping.
Chef's tips
- Squeeze the blanched crown daisy really dry, or the filling turns watery and the dumplings may split.
The TCM view
Crown daisy is pungent, sweet and neutral, harmonising the spleen and stomach, clearing phlegm and settling the heart, and its aroma helps ease stagnation. Pork is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin; black vinegar is sour, bitter and warm, moving blood and waking the appetite; ginger and spring onion are pungent and warm and move qi. Balanced overall, it moves qi and opens the appetite.
