Chinese Chive Parcels
韭菜盒子
English: Chinese chive parcels
Chinese: 韭菜盒子
Pinyin： jiucai hezi
Literal: Chinese chive ‘boxes’
I find myself thinking of the Cornish pasty whenever I make Chinese chive parcels. Both share that handheld half-moon shape, crimped edges, and a belly full of warm stuffing. Others not from Cornwall describe them simply as 'big, fat, fried dumplings' – which is quite accurate – although they're much easier to make. With decent rolling pin skills, you can have these on the table in under an hour.
The star ingredient, Chinese chives (jiucai | 韭菜), rarely appears in Western kitchens. They have a distinctive taste that is a cross between wild garlic and the green part of a spring onion. While the taste might be too bold for some Western palates, these chives are deeply woven into Northern Chinese cuisine. They're one of the few greens tough enough to survive harsh Northern winters, pushing through the soil as soon as spring arrives. You'll find them stuffed into dumplings, layered into thick Northern pancakes (xi'er bing | 馅儿饼), tucked into steamed buns (baozi | 包子), and tossed into countless stir-fries. It took me five years to develop a taste for them – they're definitely what you'd call an acquired taste, but one I've finally come to appreciate.
These savoury parcels are particularly beloved around Beijing, Tianjin, and the Northeast, where they're enjoyed as breakfast or a street-food snack. While Chinese chives might be a bit intense for my morning palate, I find myself happily devouring two or three of these come lunchtime.
Makes 10 parcels
Ingredients
For the Dough
300g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
180ml boiling water
For the Stuffing
200g Chinese chives, finely chopped
1g baking soda
4 eggs
2 tablespoons Chinese dried shrimp (虾皮)
¼ teaspoon five spice powder
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Salt, to taste
Method
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Gradually pour in hot water while stirring constantly with chopsticks until a rough dough forms.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth, or use a stand mixer with dough hook for 4-5 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.
Use this time to prepare the filling. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Heat a pan with a bit of oil over a medium heat and then scramble the eggs quickly. No need for this to be a slow gentle scramble.
Break the scrambled eggs into small pieces with a spatula and then let the eggs cool completely. If you add the hot eggs to the chives, they will wilt.
In a large mixing bowl add the chopped chives then sprinkle and mix with baking soda. This will preserve their green colour. Add the cooled scrambled eggs, shrimp, sesame oil, five-spice powder, and a tiny pinch of salt. Mix well.
Shape the dough. Pour the dough onto your surface again and roll into a long sausage shape about 50cm long. Cut into 10 equal portions. Roll each piece into a thin oval about 8-9cm wide and 10-11cm long.
Assemble the parcels:
Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling in the centre of each oval, leaving a 2cm border around the edge.
Wet the border with a water.
Pick up the parcel so the stuffing is hanging down in the middle. Fold the parcel in half and pinch the border until it seals.
Place the parcel onto the surface and then use a fork to crimp the edges, giving a nice simple pattern around the edge. This will also seal the parcels, so press firmly. Repeat until you have 10 parcels.
Cook the parcels in batches. Heat a pan over a medium heat and add a thin layer of oil. Place the chive parcels in the pan and cook until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes) and then flip and cook the other slide. Add a splash of water and then cover with a lid for 2 minutes to steam.
Remove the lid and when both sides are crispy, remove from the pan.
Serve warm with a simple dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar and chilli oil.
