The legend of Leasider Judy Lau’s dad, Stanley, is a love story, one that is still being written. The 91-year-old Stanley, born Wong Chong Wah in Guangdong Province in southern China, has lived an auspicious life. Coming to Canada in 1959 and adopting the “Canadian” name Stanley upon arrival, he has put passion into his every endeavour, from acting and performing in Cantonese opera to owning and operating various restaurants in and around Edmonton. Judy shares her recollections of her dad and his recipe for Chinese dumplings, a traditional Chinese New Year specialty.
Dumplings are a savoury staple dish during Chinese New Year; this year the holiday begins on January 29th. Because their shape resembles ancient Chinese currency, they are said to bring wealth, prosperity and longevity. Judy recalls family and friends preparing the dough and the filling, mostly pork, shrimp and chives, and then wrapping and pleating the dumplings before cooking. She says, “the counter would be covered with scores of them, but we could always tell which dumplings were made by my dad – they were the ones that were perfectly folded and pleated!”
Even though Stanley spent his entire working life in Canada as a restaurateur, he did not have formal culinary training. “He learned cooking by doing it, by using all his senses. He tastes something for the first time and can tell you what’s in it and can then go ahead and replicate it, adding his own unique touch.” In fact, a young Chong Wah back in Hong Kong was headed for a career on stage rather than in a kitchen.
Chong Wah’s grandfather journeyed to Canada in 1880 to help build the railway. In 1923 he brought Chong Wah’s father to Canada, paying the requisite $500 head tax, a discriminatory law that in part was meant to discourage Chinese immigration. Government rules stipulated that Chinese immigrants could return for a visit once every three years. The last time Chong Wah’s father returned to China to see his wife and children was in 1932, the visit during which Chong Wah was conceived. Soon afterwards Japan invaded China and Chong Wah’s dad would never again return, instead staying in Prince Albert, Sask. Chong Wah met his father for the first time at age 26 when he himself emigrated to Canada in 1959.
In 1956 Chong Wah moved from Guangdong to Hong Kong where he waited for his papers allowing him to come to Canada. While there he acted and sang in Cantonese operas, traditional performances combining literature, drama, dance, song and martial arts and even learned to play the violin and banjo. Unlike Peking (now Beijing) operas focused on war and power, Cantonese operas captured themes of love. For a brief spell he also studied English when he became entranced by Po King Pon, whose job it was to teach the alphabet. He was too shy to converse with her and soon afterwards left the program. Fatefully, six months later as he was sitting in a hot, crowded office about to have his physical exam – the last hurdle to come to Canada – he heard a pair of high heels clicking down the hall and into the waiting room. It was Po King, who was there for the same reason. This time Chong Wah was brave enough to introduce himself.
Both emigrated separately to Canada in 1959. They reunited in 1961 and soon married. Making Edmonton home, they ran successful restaurants and brought over Po King’s mother to raise Judy and her two older siblings since their businesses consumed much of their time. Judy remembers feeling lucky as a young child to work at their downtown restaurant, the Canton, because it meant she was close to her parents. “They both worked very long hours to make the restaurant a success for our family, sometimes sleeping there after a late closing in order to be up and ready for breakfast. My helping out by waiting tables or washing dishes meant I could be with them.”
At 91 Stanley is now putting much love into being the main caregiver for Po King, who suffered a stroke in 2015. He keeps fit and energetic by walking vigorously on a treadmill for 30 minutes each morning and twice a day drinking his secret to good health: warm water, honey, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Incidentally, another term for dumplings in Chinese, dim sum, means “to touch the heart.” It’s an apt dish for a man who, according to Judy, would often say “food is love and caring, and always tastes better when made with and for loved ones!”
Lunar New Year Dumplings
INGREDIENTS:
-1 lb ground pork (80% lean/20% fat) – do not use lean pork or filling will be dry. Ground chicken can be used if preferred
-1 lb medium sized tiger prawns, shelled, deveined, and diced
-4-5 finely minced cloves of garlic
-1.5 inch ginger, peeled and grated
-1 cup finely chopped chives
-1 tbsp Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine (optional)
-2 tbsp sesame oil
-4-5 dashes of ground white pepper
-3 tbsp light soy sauce
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tbsp sugar
-2 packages of round dumpling wrappers (store bought wrappers used for convenience, homemade dough recipe is below)
-2-3 green onions finely sliced for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
● Thoroughly combine the ground pork, shrimp, garlic, ginger, chives, and seasonings together. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes at room temperature or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
*PRO TIP- cook a tablespoon of the filling in the microwave 30-45 seconds, taste and adjust seasonings before making dumplings
Wrapping the dumplings:
● Put a tablespoon of filling in the centre of the wrapper. Using your finger, moisten the edge of half the wrapper with water. Bring the dry edge up to the wet edge and pinch together to seal tightly,creating a half moon shape. You can leave the dumpling in this form or pleat. Do not overfill or the edges won’t seal and the filling will come out
● Place dumplings on a covered tray while assembling to keep them from drying out – use a tea
towel or plastic wrap. Keep dumplings separated so they don’t stick to each other
● Cook dumplings or freeze for later use. Dumplings can be boiled, steamed, or pan fried
Boiling: bring a large pot of water to boil, add a dozen dumplings at a time, stir to prevent sticking, and once dumplings float to the top (about 5 min), continue to cook for another 3 min, and drain well
Steaming: place dumplings on parchment or cabbage lined steaming basket (do not over crowd) and place over a pot of boiling water and cover. Steam for 8-10 min
Pan fry: place neutral oil over medium heat in a large non-stick pan. Add 10-12 dumplings and brown sides until golden brown – 2 min. Add 1 cup of water and cover with a lid. Cook 5-6 min, water should be evaporated at this time. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes
Garnish dumplings with green onions and serve with dipping sauce
● Try chili garlic sauce, chili oil, or a mixture of 4 tbsp Chinese black vinegar, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, chili oil to taste, minced cilantro, minced garlic, and sesame seeds. Taste and adjust seasonings
** There are lots of videos on YouTube on how to fold dumplings in various ways
** Uncooked dumplings can be frozen – place a single layer on a baking sheet, cover with parchment paper and add an additional layer, repeat the process if required. Once the dumplings are frozen, store them in airtight bags. Increase cooking time for frozen dumplings, no need to defrost before cooking
Homemade Dumpling Wrappers
(makes approximately 35)
INGREDIENTS:
-1 3/4 cup all purpose flour, more for dusting
-1/4 cup cornstarch
-1/2 cup water *( 2/3 of this amount should be boiling water, 1/3 part of water is room temperature)
-2 tsp room temperature water
DIRECTIONS:
Sift flour and cornstarch. Add boiling water to sifted flour and cornstarch slowly and mix. Follow with the room temperature water. Knead dough for 15-20 minutes. Cover with a tea towel and rest dough for 1 hour or until the dough becomes soft
* Chinese cooks always say dough should feel like your earlobe 🙂
Roll the dough into a loop and cut into four sections. Take one section and cover the other three to prevent dough from drying. Roll out dough into a log and cut into 8 pieces. Using your palm, flatten each piece of dough followed by using a rolling pin to make it into a flat disc. If dough is getting sticky, dust with flour.
Use the wrappers immediately. If you wish to freeze them for later use, dust each wrapper with flour and place in an airtight bag.
Each month we will cover a Leasider’s special dish with a hearty side order of narrative. And you will find the recipes online by clicking the Leaside Cooks tab.
