In their latest video, the USA MICHELIN Guide digital team gave four New York City-based chefs—Jessica Craig (L’Artusi), Cosme Aguilar (Casa Enrique), Anna Bolz (Per Se) and Charlie Chen (Pinch Chinese)—a task: how to cook up “the big apple.” 

Chen, an alum of the famed Din Tai Fung dim sum chain, and the team at Pinch Chinese, a Bib Gourmand-designated eatery in SoHo, initially responded with skepticism, as its menu consists of pork soup dumplings, Niman Ranch cumin pork ribs, dan dan noodles and a gloriously crispy Peking duck that’s carved tableside. Needless to say, apples are not commonly found in the kitchen. 

But given the time of year, the answer was simple: make apple pie, but in true Pinch fashion. Behold, apple pie dumplings fit for any fall table.

Thanksgiving Apple Pie Dumplings

Courtesy of Pinch Chinese, New York City

Ingredients

For Dumplings:
200 grams sugar
40 grams corn starch
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon citric acid
1/4 teaspoon salt
600 grams Granny Smith apples, diced
33 grams vanilla bean extract
33 grams molasses
Shanghai-style dumpling wrapper or wonton wrapper

For Maple-Cardamom Compote:
2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup light amber maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 

Method

1. Mix dumpling dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine apples, vanilla bean extract and molasses. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl containing the apple mix and combine using a spatula. Transfer to a pot over medium-low heat and cook until the sugar dissolves; set aside.

2. Place a generous portion of the apple filling on each dumpling wrapper and seal shut; repeat until all of the filling is used. Pan fry for 5 minutes. (For Wonton wrapper, fry in cast iron pan for 3 mins, or until fork tender).

3. In a small pot, boil apple cider and maple syrup until 1/4 of the liquid remains, 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in ground cardamon. Let sit for 10 minutes.

4. Place cooked dumplings on plate and drizzle compote over dumplings.

Hero image courtesy of Kathryn M. Sheldon. 

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