Butternut squash & chestnut dumplings

These were a big hit at the last potluck, and they were quite popular today. So, since a few people asked for the recipe, I've decided to post it.

Ingredients:

• Medium-sized butternut squash
• 2 lb fresh chestnuts
• ¼ Boursin cheese (I use the garlic & fine herbs one) or 40 g of herbed goat cheese
• Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Dried thyme (to taste)
• Optional Christmas spices: ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
• Shanghai dumpling wrappers
• Dried/fresh thyme (for garnish)
• Chili oil

Filling:

1. Wash and halve butternut squash. Roast for 1½ h at 350° F.
2. Wash chestnuts and cut a slit across the width of each. Roast for 25 minutes at 350° F.
3. Let chestnuts cool enough to handle and remove the shells. They're easier to shell if they're still warm.
4. Grind in food processor - but not too fine, because you want them to provide texture in the dumplings.
5. Remove squash from oven and discard seeds. Peel off the skin (I put the skin back into the oven until they're dried and then crumble them into salads...very yummy and healthy too).
6. Mash the squash in a bowl. While it's still warm, mix in cheese and ground chestnuts.
7. Mix in thyme and optional spices if you're using them.
8. Salt and pepper the filling to taste.
9. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Dumplings:

There are many types of dumpling wrappers on the market. You can also make your own. I, however, am partial to Hung Wang Foods, so this is the kind I buy.

Now, there a many different ways to wrap up your dumplings. Every Chinese family has their own way of doing it, and mine might not be the easiest way. So if you're a seasoned pro, just wrap it as you normally would. If you're a novice, here's a pretty easy method.

For these particular dumpling wrappers, I put about 1 tsp of filling in each.

If you're not planning on cooking them all immediately, this is a good time to freeze them. Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place the sheet in the freezer until they are frozen. Make sure the dumplings not touching. Once frozen, you can place them in a freezer bag. They can stay in the freezer for ~2 months.

To cook, boil a pot of water with as much salt in the water as if you were cooking pasta. The water should taste like the sea.

When you have a rolling boil, place the dumplings in the pot one at a time, and make sure you don't crowd the pot. A trick to prevent the dumplings from sticking is to swirl the water with a wooden spoon as you drop in the dumplings.

The filling is already cooked, so these cook really quickly. After 2-3 minutes, or when they start floating, they are done. If you're cooking frozen dumplings, do NOT defrost them. Just throw them into the boiling water. They may need a minute or two longer than fresh dumplings.

To serve, drain the dumplings, sprinkle with thyme and drizzle chili oil. Finely chopped green onions or cilantro also go well with these dumplings.

If you have excess filling left over, it makes a great spread for toast, or a pasta sauce. Warm it up with a bit of water or cream to a sauce consistency, and then toss with your pasta of choice.