Zhong shui jiao

Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in 55 g of water, pour it into 210 g of all-purpose flour and mix, then crack in a large egg and keep mixing until all the liquid is absorbed; gather by hand to a rough dough.

Rest the dough 15 minutes to relax the gluten, then knead it smooth within 5 minutes, shape into a log and cover with plastic wrap.

For the seasoned sweet soy sauce combine the light soy sauce, water, brown sugar and the cut dried shiitake.

Add the ginger, knotted scallion, tied cilantro and thinly sliced shallot.

Add the broken cinnamon stick, star anise, half black cardamom, dried chilies, bay leaf, fennel seeds, white peppercorns and Sichuan peppercorns and bring to a boil.

Turn to low and simmer uncovered 20 to 30 minutes until three fifths of the liquid has evaporated and it is thick, sticky and tacky; strain through a sieve and cool to a syrup.

For the aromatic water blend the ginger, garlic, scallion, Sichuan peppercorns and 100 g of water to a puree and pass it through a sieve.

Season the aromatic water with salt, white pepper, sugar and Chinese cooking wine, then mix in the cornstarch.

Cut the pork shoulder into bite-sized pieces, removing any silver skin, and grind it in a food processor on and off for just 20 to 30 seconds, leaving it a little rough.

Crack in an egg, switch to low speed and add the aromatic water slowly, mixing two minutes; by hand, stir in one direction for five minutes instead.

Mix through with a spatula, drizzle in some sesame oil and give a final mix.

Roll the rested dough into a long even log and cut it into pieces of about 6 g each, dusting with flour and keeping them covered.

Flatten a piece by hand and roll it three to four times, turning 90 degrees, to a round 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter.

Put about 10 g of filling on the wrapper, fold it in half and lightly pinch the edge; it does not need to be sealed, and the gap catches more sauce.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, swirl it with a spatula to make a vortex and drop the dumplings in so they flow with the water.

Keep the heat at medium, swirling, and cook 6 to 7 minutes at a slight simmer, adding a little water if it bubbles too hard; poach, do not boil.

Fish the dumplings out, shake off the excess water so the seasonings are not diluted, and put them in a bowl.

Stir the seasoned sweet soy sauce and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons over, add 1 to 4 tablespoons of hot chili oil, sprinkle diced scallion and grate in two cloves of garlic; mix well before eating.