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Lay a wonton wrapper on the counter. Brush the surface with the beaten egg white. Drop 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto the center of the wrapper. Fold it in half to make a semicircle and crimp the edges to seal. With the seam side up, tap the bottom lightly on the counter to flatten the base. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Lightly oil the bottom of a 10-inch bamboo steamer and line it with whole cabbage leaves. Stand the dumplings in the steamer in a single layer and don’t let them touch. You should be able to get 12 dumplings in the steamer at a time. Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a wok. Set the bamboo steamer inside the wok; then cover it with the bamboo lid. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes, until the dumplings feel firm. Serve with one of the Dipping sauces. These also work great as hors d’oeuvres for a cocktail party.

Fried Crab Wontons

Fried Crab Wontons

45 minutes

Makes 36 wontons

Crab Filling

Peanut oil, for frying

1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated

1 shallot, finely chopped

½ carrot, finely chopped

12 ounces Dungeness crabmeat, picked through for shells

1 green onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Juice of ½ lemon

1 egg white

1 teaspoon cornstarch

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

1 (12-ounce) package square wonton wrappers

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Cornstarch, for dusting wontons

Dipping sauces

Heat a skillet over medium heat and hit it with a 1-count drizzle of oil. Sauté the ginger, shallot, and carrot for 2 minutes to soften. Put the crabmeat in a mixing bowl and scrape in the ginger mixture. Fold in the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Be careful not to mash the crabmeat—you want that texture when you bite into the wonton.

Lay a wonton wrapper on a flat surface and brush with the beaten egg white. Drop 1 tablespoon of the crab filling onto the center of the wrapper. Fold the wonton in half, corner to corner, to form a triangle. Press around the filling to knock out any air bubbles and then press the seam together to seal so the filling doesn’t seep out when fried. Lightly dust the filled wontons with cornstarch to keep them from sticking and place them on a cookie sheet.

In a wok or heavy pot, heat 2 to 3 inches of peanut oil over medium-high heat. The oil should take about 15 minutes to heat up. Sprinkle a tiny bit of cornstarch in the hot oil; if it sizzles, you are ready to go. If you feel more comfortable checking the temperature of the oil with an instant-read thermometer, it should read 350°F. Drop 5 wontons in the pot, one at a time so they don’t stick together, and fry for about 5 minutes, until crisp, turning frequently. Remove with a strainer or slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Let the oil come back up to temperature and fry the remaining wontons. These are dynamite with all 3 of the sauces!

Pork Dumpling Soup

with Chinese Greens

45 minutes

These pork dumplings can also be served by themselves without the soup. Just steam them instead of boiling them in the broth. You will have leftover filling, so you can make it once and serve it twice.

Makes 50 dumplings

Pork Filling

¾ pound ground pork

¼ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

½ medium turnip, peeled and grated

1 green onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger

¼ bunch fresh cilantro

1 egg white

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons dry sherry

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

Broth

3 quarts Chicken Stock

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

2-inch piece ginger, whacked open with the flat side of a knife

4 garlic cloves, smashed

2 green onions, halved

1 dried red chile

1 (12-ounce) package square wonton wrappers

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Cornstarch, for dusting wontons

4 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise

¼ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

2 finely chopped green onions,