Homemade pork and prawn dumplings

Method

1. To make the infused water, pour the freshly boiled water into a heatproof bowl and add the ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks and star anise. Leave to cool down and for the aromatics to infuse the water for at least 30 minutes.

2. To make the dumpling dough, combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour 100ml/3½fl oz of cold water into the bowl and very slowly start to mix the flour and water into a dough.

3. When everything is combined, add a further 25ml/1fl oz of cold water and knead to a smooth dough. Once a ball forms and there is no dough clinging to the sides of the bowl or your hands, it's ready. This should take about 20 minutes by hand, but it can also be done in a stand mixer.

4. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

5. Once the dough has rested, knead it again until it reaches the same smooth texture as before. Dust a work surface with flour. You can now either roll the dough out flat (about the thickness of a two pence piece) and use a circular cutter about the size of your palm to punch out discs of dough, or use the following steps.

6. Divide the dough into three equal pieces, then knead each piece into a cylinder. Cut small pieces of dough, each weighing 10g/⅓oz, from the edge of the cylinder while turning it 90 degrees after each cut for the next piece – this ensures circular discs. Using a mini rolling pin or dumpling dowel, roll each dough disc into an even circle, continually rotating the dough as you go, to make an even circle.

7. Dust with plenty of extra flour to keep the dough from sticking to the surfaces. Keep the rolled-out wrappers covered completely with cling film while preparing the rest.

8. To make the filling, if your pork mince has less than 40% fat, add some lard to increase the fat content (a high fat content is the secret to keeping the filling juicy). If your mince has 20% fat, add 1 tablespoon of lard. If your mince has 10% fat, then add 2 tablespoons of lard.

9. Chop the lard into tiny dice and scatter them evenly through the pork mince in a large mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients for the filling to the mince, then strain the 100ml/3½fl oz infused water into the bowl. The mixture will be very liquid at this point.

10. Bring everything together with your hands until well combined. Cover and leave the pork mixture to sit for at least 20 minutes in the fridge.

11. To assemble the dumplings, if you're right-handed, lay a dumpling wrapper in the palm of your left hand (and vice versa if you're left-handed). Place one heaped teaspoon of the filling right in the centre of the dumpling wrapper (being careful not to overfill it or they will burst during cooking), dab a little water on one side to help it stick, then fold and – if you can – pleat the dumplings along the edges. Keep the finished dumplings on a surface board dusted with flour covered with a clean tea towel while you make the rest to ensure they don't dry out.

12. To cook the dumplings, bring a deep pot of lightly salted water to the boil over a high heat. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot, drop in the dumplings, then add 50ml/2fl oz of cold water and allow the water to come back up to the boil. Repeat this process three times until the dumplings are floating and cooked through, then remove from the water with a slotted spoon.

13. When ready to serve, combine the vinegar and chilli oil in a small bowl to make a dipping sauce. Serve the dipping sauce alongside the freshly cooked dumplings, scattered with the chopped coriander.