Chinese Bacon and Garlic Chive–Smothered Pierogi with Tofu Cream

Serves 3-6 as entrée or appetizer, respectively

Ingredients:

4 oz. Chinese bacon, skinned, and sliced crosswise into ¼” pieces – approx. ¾ cup
1 cup chopped washed and dried Chinese chives and/or flowering garlic chives
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar
½ bag frozen Chinese Brand pork and shrimp dumplings

Directions:
Bring a three quart pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, place the bacon in a cold heavy sauté pan or cast iron skillet. Bring pan to medium-low heat, cooking the bacon until brown and crisping in its own rendered fat. Add in the chives and sauté a minute or so – just until the chives have wilted and turned a deeper shade of green. Turn up the heat and add the vinegar, stirring to slightly reduce. (At this point, if the dumplings have not finished cooking, turn off the heat to the sauté pan.)

Just before adding chives to the pan with the bacon, drop frozen dumplings into the boiling water and stir when they sink to the bottom, maintaining the water at a low boil. Ideally, you want to coordinate things so the dumplings are cooked through as you finish the bacon-chive mixture. The dumplings will bob up to the surface when almost finished, between 3-5 minutes. Give pot another stir and allow dumplings to cook for an additional minute or so.

With a handled Chinese wire strainer or slotted spoon, scoop dumplings out of the water and into the sauté pan. Dial up the heat, and turn dumplings gently in the bacon, fat and chive mixture. When well coated, turn dumplings into a serving bowl and garnish with the tofu cream.

Tofu Cream 

Yield: 1 ¼ cups (enough for two recipes of dumplings)

Ingredients:
1 box lite silken tofu (Mori-Nu, 12.3 oz. pkg.)
1 tablespoon neutral oil such as canola or light olive oil
1 ½ tbs. lemon juice
1 ½ tbs. cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoon salt

Directions: Place tofu into the bowl of a processor, process to mash and smoothen the tofu. Add in the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. Check seasoning. Can be prepared a day or two ahead of time and kept covered in the fridge. Dairy is almost never used in Asian cooking – this trompe l’oeil stand-in works beautifully. – recipes courtesy of Heidi Robb; all photos by Heidi Robb