Forget the Philly Cheesesteak- The real gem of the Philadelphia food scene are edamame dumplings. Whether it was as an appetizer, a happy hour special, or my full meal- these dumplings are the first thing that come to mind when I think of food in Philly. And living in Albany, I find myself missing these little bites of decadent flavor the most. So I did the next best thing and came up with a recipe myself. I tend to make them in large batches and freeze them for when I need a more decadent snack; I would also highly recommend them as an a appetizer for any gathering at which you need to impress!

Disclaimer- I have never asked or received the recipe from the restaurants in Philly; I worked on this recipe until it was close enough to satisfy my craving for the real thing!

Other Disclaimer- this is not the healthiest recipe here, but it is filling, decadent, and anyone can make it!

Makes: About 80 dumplings   Total Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

·       4 cups of frozen shelled edamame

·        4 cups of 1% milk (enough to cover the edamame in a pot)

·        2 tablespoons of butter

·        4-8 tablespoons of white truffle oil (depending on your taste

·        Dumpling wrappers (2 packages to be safe - I usually ruin a few in the process)

·        Black pepper and salt (to taste)

·        Small bowel of water to seal dumpling wrappers

Recipe

1. Place 4 cups of frozen edamame in a pot, cover with 1% milk, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Bring to a boil

2. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and allow to cook until edamame are soft.

3. Save about 1 cup of the milk broth in which you are cooking the edamame and put aside.

4. Drain the edamame (at this point, I like to clean the edamame by running them under water and removing any remaining shells.

5. Place edamame in a blender with a bit of the milk broth, and 3 tablespoons of truffle oil.

6. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is not as smooth as you like continue adding the milk broth. Add truffle oil one tablespoon at a time until you achieve the flavor profile you like best.

7. Add a bit of salt and black pepper for taste and continue blending until smooth.

8. Place a small spoonful of the mixture at the center of the dumpling wrapper, use a fingertip of water along the edge of the wrapper to seal close and shape. (No need to get fancy with the shapes, just ensure that all the edges are sealed.

Once you have made your dumplings, you can freeze them and save for a later day, stir fry them with a little oil, boil and eat them as a quick bite, or serve with broth (miso or vegetable). These are super versatile and I promise it will seem like 80 won’t be enough!

Tips:

• Freeze on parchment paper to prevent sticking to glass or ceramic bowls

• Serving them with a miso broth and scallions is a really nice way to make a whole meal out of these (4 and you’ll be stuffed!)