A classic Chinese comfort dish, fish dumplings are like a warm hug on a frigid winter’s day. Although they come in different shapes, sizes, and shades of flavor, fish dumplings are generally made by filling flour dough wrappers with a savory mixture of minced fish and aromatics before steaming until soft, tender, and succulent. Steamed fish dumplings are faultless as they are, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a makeover from time to time. One of the simplest ways to jazz up fish dumplings is by giving them a potsticker-inspired treatment by frying them before serving.
Instead of exclusively steaming fish dumplings, frying them in a covered skillet with a small amount of water combines the best of two cooking methods. The steam from the water softens the dumpling’s interior for a tender, chewy bite while the searing heat of the pan facilitates a golden brown crispy exterior. Not only does that first-contact crunch diversify the mouthfeel of the dumplings, but it also flaunts a toasty and gently caramelized flavor that compliments the vibrant, rich-tasting ingredients inside of them. Subtle yet transformative, this low-effort dumpling upgrade maintains the delicacy of steamed dumplings while adorning their soft, chewy quintessence — perfect for a dim sum feast.
Tips for pan-frying fish dumplings
The trickiest part of preparing fish dumplings is making the dough and filling. Once you’ve formed the dumplings, the hardest part is over. Pan-frying them only requires small attention to detail, so it’s helpful to keep a few tips in mind to get the most out of this multi-dimensional dumpling upgrade.
Before placing the dumplings on a frying pan set to medium heat, add a small amount of oil to facilitate a decadent char on the dough. Arrange the dumplings on the pan and add no more than a quarter cup of water before covering them with a vented lid. The exact amount of water and oil you need depends on how many dumplings you are frying — use more water and oil for larger servings and vice versa for smaller servings. Pan fry until golden brown, garnish with your favorite fixings, and enjoy! If you’re serving them in a brothy dish, add the dumplings just before serving to keep them from getting soggy.
Finally, don’t hesitate to try this dumpling upgrade with other filings. Whether you’re substituting fish for plant-based alternatives or filling that delicious dough with pork, this pan-frying method can zhuzh up just about any dumpling recipe.
