Molly Baz

1. Prep the filling and chili sauce:
For the pork filling, grate 2 cloves garlic and 1” of ginger, about 2 tablespoons, into a medium bowl. Finely chop 2 scallions, both green and white parts and add to the bowl. Set aside (these are the seasonings for the pork filling)
For the chili sauce, finely chop the remaining 1 scallion and place Into a separate large, heat-proof bowl. Grate remaining 1” of ginger into the bow along with ½ cup chili flakes (see notes), 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder, 1 tablespoon mushroom bouillon powder or ¼ tsp MSG (optional), 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper,  2 tablespoons sesame oil and 2 tablespoons black vinegar.
Thinly slice 2 large shallots - a mandolin is great for this, you should have about 1 cup. Thinly slice remaining garlic, about 1 cup.

2.Make the crispy chili sauce:
Line a large plate with paper towels. Place 1 cup grapeseed oil and 1 cup thinly sliced shallots in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir frequently, adjusting the heat as needed, cooking until the shallots are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shallots from the pan and drain on paper towels. Add the garlic to the saucepan and cook until just golden, 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and drain the garlic on paper towels with the shallots.
Carefully pour the hot oil over the chili flakes and spices in the large bowl; it’ll bubble up a bit. Stir together and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Stir in the fried garlic and fried shallots. Adjust seasonings to taste. Can be made ahead of time. Keep leftovers in a jar, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.

3. Make the dumplings:
Add 1 pound of ground pork into the medium bowl with the scallions, ginger and garlic. Add 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 egg, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Stir until well combined.
It’s always a good idea to check for seasoning before filling the dumplings because you can’t season them once they’re folded. An optional but highly recommended step - form about a teaspoon of the filling into a small patty and fry until cooked though. Taste and adjust seasonings in the raw mixture as needed.
Set up your work area with wontons wrappers, a small bowl of water and a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Use a butter knife to place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Dip a fingertip in water and lightly wet the edges of the wrapper. Join the opposite corners together and press to form a triangle. Gently press from the center of the dumpling toward the edges, forcing out any air bubbles from around the filling before pinching edges to seal the triangle completely.   Dab a little water on one “arm" and join with the opposite corner, like “arms” crossing under the “belly” of the dumpling so it looks like a little bowl (ideal for catching sauce). Set on the baking sheet and repeat until you run out of wrappers or filling (fry up any leftover filling for a little snackington).
If you’re not cooking the dumplings right away, keep them covered in the refrigerator for up to a couple hours. Otherwise, freeze them on a baking sheet, taking care that they’re not touching, until frozen solid, then store in an air-tight container for up to 2 months.

4. Cook:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook dumplings in batches of 10 or so, about 2-3 minutes (add another minute if cooking frozen dumplings). They’ll float when they’re done. Use a slotted spoon to remove the dumplings from the water, let excess water drain a few seconds and place in a serving bowl. Repeat with remaining dumplings.  Serve with crispy chili sauce.