Turkey dumplings

Photo: Omnivore's Cookbook

Maggie mashes leftover squash or sweet potatoes with butter, a little gravy and nutmeg, folds in turkey and spinach, then pan-fries them. Cranberry sauce is the dipping sauce. Genius, and the kids will fold them for you.

From Maggie Zhu at Omnivore's Cookbook · @omnivorescookbook

Pan-fried dumplings filled with mashed squash or sweet potato, turkey, garlicky spinach and a little gravy, with cranberry sauce to dip.

You need

• 24 dumpling wrappers, thawed
• 1/2 lb (about 1 1/2 cups) cooked squash, mashed potatoes or sweet potato casserole
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 tbsp chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tsp leftover gravy or turkey drippings (optional)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cardamom
• 2 tsp vegetable oil, plus more for frying
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 oz spinach
• 1 cup leftover turkey, shredded
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• Leftover cranberry sauce, for dipping

How to make it

1. Mash the squash with the butter, broth, gravy, pepper, nutmeg and cardamom in a bowl until smooth.
2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the garlic and stir 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the spinach and cook until wilted and the liquid has cooked off. Cool a few minutes, then chop finely.
3. Stir the spinach, turkey and salt into the squash. The filling should taste a little salty and hold its shape like thick mashed potatoes; add a splash of broth if it's dry.
4. Set up: a bowl of water, the wrappers under a damp towel, the filling and a tray. Wet the edge of a wrapper, put 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp filling in the middle, fold in half and pinch the edges shut, pleating if you like. Keep finished dumplings covered.
5. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add dumplings flat side down in one layer and fry until the bottoms are golden, about 2 minutes.
6. Pour in 1/3 cup water, cover at once and steam until the water is gone and the wrappers look translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover and fry another minute to re-crisp the bottoms.
7. Serve hot with cranberry sauce for dipping.

Written in our own words from Maggie Zhu's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Turkey dumplings, Omnivore's Cookbook.

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