So how do they get the soup in the dumplings?

[theblackpandas]

do they freeze the broth or something and when it cooks it melts.???
i've always wondered how they do that.
anybody know for sure. or have any good ideas?

[Ed Dibble]

Here's a discussion of how it is done, with a recipe:

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2...

ed

[SauceSupreme]

In croquettes that are deep fried, the soup is frozen. The time spent in the fryer is just enough time to thaw the soup but also harden the exterior mix.

In dumplings, cuts of meat and bone are included into the stock that contain connective tissue. Connective tissue is made of collagen. Under long slow heating (like in stewing, braising, or stock-making), the collagen turns into gelatin. This is what happens to BBQ ribs that "fall off the bone"-- the connective tissue is gone!

This provides a natural thickener to the broth that solidifies it upon refrigeration, not freezing, which is fine since steaming uses a much lower temperature (~220 deg F) than frying (~400 deg F).

[Das Ubergeek]

You're right about the gelatin -- just that some places (naming no names of large internationally-known dim sum houses) "cheat" a little bit with sheet gelatin.

[ricepad]

Name names!

(Unless, of course, they've already been panned by Chowhounds on local boards.)

[Das Ubergeek]

A friend of mine took a kitchen tour of DTF and said they put something that looked like sheet gelatin in their stock. I assume it's the same stock that goes in those dumplings...

[Das Ubergeek]

They add a bit of gelatin to it and refrigerate it, then put the "jello" (really a kind of aspic) in the dumpling. When they steam it, it turns to liquid -- hence, soup.

[MsDiPesto]

I thought I read somewhere where they freeze the soup and insert frozen chunks into the dumpling wrap before cooking.

[choctastic]

they make jellied broth, cube it up and put it all around the little meatball in the middle of the wrapper which they then wrap around both meatball and broth cubes.

[JudiAU]

Well made stock has a high concentration of gelatin making the chilled broth wobbly. The gel can be added to the dough and when it cooks, the gel dissolves and becomes broth.