By Pat Tanner Special Writer
“Dumplings are a common thread in cuisines throughout the world,” writes Brian Yarvin in the introduction to his latest book, “A World of Dumplings: Filled Dumplings, Pockets, and Little Pies from Around the Globe” (Countryman Press, $21.95). These bits of dough wrapped around a filling are the latest subject tackled by Mr. Yarvin, the Edison-based cookbook author and photographer whose “Farms and Foods of the Garden State” was profiled in this space in 2005.
Pot-stickers, ravioli, knishes, empanadas, pasties, samosas, pierogies — all the familiar forms of the genre are included in this thorough tome, but so are less well-known ones, such as Turkish borek, Swedish kroppkakor, Brazilian esfirra and Cajun meat pies. For research, Mr. Yarvin visited ethnic neighborhoods throughout the northeastern U.S., stopping at kiosks, festivals and restaurants. His copious color photographs are invaluable for demonstrating dough making, shaping, steaming, and frying.
As Mr. Yarvin points out, cultural fusion is often the mother of delicious invention, and never more so than in regards to dumplings. The recipes below are prime examples. As he writes about his newfound passion, “there’s a bit of joy in each one.”
REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA
FETA AND HERB KHACHAPURIS
“A World of Dumplings” by Brian Yarvin
Filling:
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 hard-cooked egg, white and yolk separated
1 cup farmer cheese
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Wrappers:
1½ cups all-purpose flour plus flour for work surface
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup peanut oil
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup milk
Oil or oil spray for the baking sheet
1. To make the filling, combine the butter and egg yolk in a large bowl. Mix until they form a paste. Dice the egg whites and add, then add the farmer cheese, feta, mint, tarragon, salt, and pepper, mixing until all the ingredients are well combined and evenly distributed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. To make the wrappers, sift the 3 cups flour, baking soda, and salt together, making sure the ingredients are well combined. Add the oil, yogurt, and milk and mix well until a dough starts to form. ýPage=019 Column=001 OK,0033.08þ If the dough is dry and cracking, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s moist and springy; if the dough is sticky, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s smooth. Put the dough on a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes or until a poke with a finger causes it to bounce back like a soft pillow. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
3. To make the khachapuris, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Press a piece into a disk and roll it out flat on a floured work surface until it’s thin enough to cut an 8-inch square out of it. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling into the middle of the wrapper. Lift a corner of the dough by the edge and bring it to the center. Repeat with the other three corners so that you have a square base with flaps covering the dough and filling. Pinch the edges of the flaps to seal the khachapuri and place on a well-oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Bake for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden.
Makes 6 khachapuris.
UZBEK SWEET WALNUT FRITTERS
(SAMSA)
“A World of Dumplings” by Brian Yarvin
Wrappers:
3 cups all-purpose flour plus flour for work surface
1½ cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons for rolling out the dough
Filling:
1½ cups chopped walnuts
¼ cup butter, just warm enough to melt
¼ cup sugar
Peanut oil for deep frying
Powdered sugar
1. To make the wrappers, combine the 3 cups flour, water, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large bowl and stir slowly until well combined. Form the mixture into a ball and knead it on a floured surface for about 3 minutes or until a dough begins to form. If the dough is dry and cracking, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s moist; if the dough is sticky, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s smooth. Roll out the dough into a flat rectangle about 24 inches long. Brush the top surface with the remaining butter, fold the dough in quarters, and roll it into a 12- x 24-inch-long sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Refrigerate if you’re not going to fill the wrappers immediately.
2. To make the filling, toss the walnuts, butter, and sugar together in a bowl, making sure that the ingredients are well combined and evenly distributed.
ýPage=019 Column=002 OK,0000.00þ 3. To make the samsa, cut the dough into 6-inch squares and spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center. Bring the four corners together over the center and pinch together. Continue pinching along the seams until everything is sealed.
4. Heat the peanut oil in a heavy pot over medium or medium- high heat, stirring occasionally until the oil reaches 375 degrees. Gently lower the dumplings into the oil using a slotted spoon or wire basket. Cook the samsa until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oil using the same utensil and drain on paper towels. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.
Makes 20 samsa.
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