Recipe: Chorizo Dumplings with Hummus and Cilantro Oil

Boston Magazine said this dumpling “might just be the best two-bite morsel in town” in their award write-up for best dumplings in the city. To be honest, the credit should really go to Brad and Heather at the Piggery for their traditionally raised heritage breed pigs that they turn into some damn good chorizo. Hence this recipe is really about sourcing the best chorizo you can find. We will take credit for pairing it with this white bean puree, which serves as a creamy (but vegan!) foil to the piquancy of the chorizo spices—but begs to be eaten on its own as a dip, a sandwich spread, or straight from the bowl with a spoon. 

Makes about 24 dumplings 

DUMPLINGS 

16 ounces raw (not cured) chorizo sausage, casing removed if necessary 

1 pack of round dumpling wrappers, or home made dough

HUMMUS/WHITE BEAN PUREE 

One 15-ounce can garbanzo or white beans, such as cannellini, drained and rinsed (265 g, or about 1½ cups cooked beans) 

⅔ cup (160 g) water 

2 cloves garlic, sliced 

¼ small onion, minced 

½ cup (105 g) extra-virgin olive oil 

½ teaspoon (2 g) kosher salt 

CILANTRO OIL 

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped 

1 cup (210 g) neutral oil, such as canola 

MAKE THE WHITE BEAN PUREE 

Place the beans, water, garlic, and onion in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. 

Transfer the bean mixture to a blender and add the oil, salt, and white pepper. Blend until smooth, thinning with an additional splash of water, if desired. Taste for seasoning. 

MAKE THE CILANTRO OIL 

Combine the cilantro and oil and mash in a mortar and pestle or blend in a blender. Strain through cheesecloth, if desired. 

TO FRY

Find a large skillet (nonstick works well here) for which you have a lid. Coat the bottom of the skillet with a layer of neutral oil (about 2 tablespoons) and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmery, carefully fill the pan with a single layer of dumplings (non-pleated side down), leaving a bit of room between each one. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown—you can pick one up to check.

Turn the heat to medium and grab the lid and about 1⁄4 cup water. Shielding yourself with the lid, pour the water into the hot pan—it will steam and sizzle, so be careful there isn’t too much oil in the panto spatter all over the place. Cover the pan and let the steam cook the top of the dumplings, 4 to 6 minutes, or 8 to 10 minutes if cooking from frozen.

Once the water has evaporated, the wrappers should be slightly translucent and the filling fully cooked. If not, add a splash of water and cover again for a minute or two. You can test for doneness by breaking open a dumpling or using your instant-read thermometer. Turn the heat up slightly, and the remaining oil in the bottom of the pan will re-crisp the bottom of the dumplings. Depending on your heat, water, and oil levels, you may need to add more water or oil, but you’ll get the hang of it after practice, we promise.

To serve, smear a heaping spoonful of the hummus/white bean puree onto a plate and place a few dumplings on top. Drizzle with cilantro oil.