Chinese chicken dumplings
These Chinese chicken dumplings (jiaozi) are so worth the effort and only call for simple ingredients. Serve topped with crushed garlic, spring onions and sesame seeds
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Prepare a bowl of ice and water. Blanch the lettuce in the boiling water for 30 seconds until its leaves are vibrant green but still crisp. Dunk it straight into the iced water to halt the cooking, then drain and shake as dry as possible (or give it a whirl in a salad spinner). Put the lettuce in a large bowl.
Heat the oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Cook the ginger for 1 min until fragrant and golden. Add the soy sauce, shaoxing and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring with a spatula for 15 seconds until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
Pour the sauce over the drained lettuce and gently fold to coat the leaves. Arrange the leaves in a pile on a plate and scrape over the sauce that collected at the bottom of the bowl. Serve immediately.