Steamed Turkey Dumplings

State Championship. Ten. We won 38-17. Ten state championships in sixteen seasons. I am fifty-one years old and I have coached this program to ten state championships. I'll say it directly, without false modesty, because ten is a number that deserves directness: ten championships at one school is the record that defines a career. I don't measure my career by this record. I measure it by the T.J. Okafors and the Jordan Riveras and the DeShawn Willises and the Diego Medinas who went on to the next thing carrying what they built here. I measure it by the players who graduated with skills they didn't arrive with. I measure it by the coaches who became better coaches here than they would have been elsewhere. But ten is ten. It means something to say it.

Marco had 219 yards in the championship game. The largest single-game rushing total in any championship game I've coached. He ran with a freedom and completeness that comes from seventeen years of being in the proximity of what this looks like at its best. He ran like he's been watching his whole life and his turn finally came. His turn came. He was extraordinary.

Called Mom from the field. Same as always. She said, "Ten." I said yes. She said, "He knew you'd get to ten." She paused. "He told me the first year you were there: this one is going to build something. He knew it the first game." I hadn't known that. She'd been waiting to tell me. Ten championships in, she told me his first-game prediction. He always knew. He was always right. He got to see eight of them. He knew about the other two before he saw them.

After we got home from the field, after the calls and the bus ride and the noise finally settled, my mother asked me what I wanted to eat — same question she has asked after every one of these, same as when I was thirty-five and she could still do all the cooking herself. We make dumplings together now, she and I, because it is the kind of work that requires two sets of hands and long conversation, and ten championships in, I know that the conversation is the point. My father used to sit at the counter and critique our folding technique. I made these thinking about him, which is the only way I know how to make them anymore.

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6 (about 24 dumplings)

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey
2 cups napa cabbage, finely shredded and salted 10 minutes, then squeezed dry
3 green onions, finely minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
24 round dumpling or gyoza wrappers (store-bought)
Small bowl of water, for sealing
Dipping Sauce: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional), 1 tsp honey

Instructions

Salt the cabbage. Toss shredded napa cabbage with 1/2 tsp salt in a colander and let sit 10 minutes. Squeeze firmly with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. This keeps the filling from getting watery.
Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, drained cabbage, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, white pepper, and salt. Mix thoroughly until the mixture holds together. Do not overwork.
Fill the dumplings. Place one wrapper flat on your palm. Add about 1 tbsp of filling to the center. Dip your finger in water and run it along the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and press the edges together firmly, pleating the front side 3–4 times as you go to create a crescent shape. Press to seal completely. Set on a lightly floured surface and cover with a damp towel.
Set up the steamer. Fill a large pot or wok with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Line a bamboo steamer basket or metal steamer insert with parchment paper or lightly oiled cabbage leaves to prevent sticking.
Steam in batches. Arrange dumplings in a single layer, not touching, in the steamer. Cover and steam over high heat for 12–14 minutes, until wrappers are translucent and the turkey filling is cooked through (internal temp 165°F). Repeat with remaining dumplings.
Make the dipping sauce. Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili flakes if using, and honey in a small bowl. Taste and adjust.
Serve immediately. Transfer dumplings to a platter and serve hot with dipping sauce alongside. These do not sit well — eat them while the steam is still in them.

Nutrition (per serving, ~4 dumplings)

Steamed Turkey Dumplings — Ten, and He Always Knew