Qingdao mackerel dumplings

Step 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, add 1 cup cold water gradually and knead for 8 minutes into a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes while you make the filling.

Step 2: Steep 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns in ½ cup hot water for 15 minutes, then strain and let the water cool. Discard the peppercorns.

Step 3: Run your fingers over the 1 ⅛ lb Spanish mackerel or mackerel fillets to catch any bones, then chop it finely with a heavy knife (or pulse briefly in a processor) until it is a coarse paste. Use a separate board from anything eaten raw.

Step 4: Put the fish in a bowl with 3 ½ oz fatty minced pork, ½ oz fresh ginger, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground white pepper. Stir hard in one direction with chopsticks for 2 minutes until sticky.

Step 5: Add the cooled pepper water 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring in the same direction until each lot is absorbed before adding the next. The filling will turn pale and fluffy. Pouring it all in at once is a common mistake: it never absorbs and the dumplings leak.

Step 6: Fold 5 ½ oz Chinese or garden chives, 2 tbsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp neutral oil into the filling just before wrapping, so the chives do not wilt and weep. Keep the filling in the fridge between batches.

Step 7: Roll the dough into a log, cut into 32 pieces, and roll each into an 8–9 cm round, thinner at the edge than in the middle.

Step 8: Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each wrapper, fold in half and press the edges firmly together, squeezing out the air. Set on a floured tray, not touching.

Step 9: Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil. Add 12–15 dumplings, stir gently so they do not stick and boil over a high heat. When they float, cook for 3–4 minutes more, until the skins are translucent and the dumplings puff.

Step 10: Cut one open to check: the filling should be firm and opaque all through, with no pink from the pork, and should reach 160°F (160 °F). Lift out with a slotted spoon and serve with black vinegar and garlic while you cook the next batch.