To do this trick, warm the ladle over a gas burner. If you have an electric stove, you could warm the ladle using a kitchen torch to maintain even heat. Be sure to rotate the ladle over the heat to ensure the entire utensil warms up thoroughly. From there, add about a tablespoon of beaten raw egg to the warmed ladle, then turn the ladle in a circular motion to coat the inside walls with the liquid egg.
Over the heat, that thinly spread egg will begin cooking almost immediately and form a perfect cup shape, making it easy to add your fillings. Finally, using chopsticks, carefully pinch one side of the egg wrapper and fold it into a half-circle to seal the dumpling — all without ever removing it from the ladle. To prevent sticking, you can spray your ladle with nonstick spray, rub it with a piece of pork fat, or coat it with oil using a pastry brush.
Savory egg dumplings are traditionally filled with ground pork, but feel free to try out different fillings like sauteed mushrooms and peppers, pureed squash, or cotija cheese. Thanks to their thinness, egg dumplings cook in a matter of minutes, making them a great addition to hot bowls of soup. These little gems can also be made ahead and frozen for quick prep in the future (if you don’t have hours to spend making fresh dumplings every time you want to enjoy them).
