Stuck in Shanghai over the holidays? Make the most of it by rounding up a group of stranded friends and hold an epic jiaozi-making party. Because really, what else are you going to do? But while Chinese seem to knock out enough dumplings to satisfy a whole village for a week (great because nothing is ever open during said week), most of us laowai have trouble mastering the art of wrapping dumplings that 1) look normal, and 2) won’t burst open during the cooking process.

That's when we caught up with Din Tai Fung’s master chef Chan Chih-Ming to give us pointers on wrapping elegantly shaped jiaozi that'll end up on the plate instead of in the trash can. That said, we're also going to teach you a quick and dirty method that, while not pretty, will also get the job done. If you don’t get it the first few times, don’t worry. We’re told that it takes trainees at Din Tai Fung roughly one month to master the folding technique—and six months to whip them out in seconds.

Fill It

Unless you have a small army assembling at your home quarters, we recommend just buying jiaozi skins at the local market. First, place the skin in the palm of your hand and dollop filling in the middle. Perfectionists will want to measure out exactly 25 grams, although you can just use your intuition (or a spoon).

Here's a guide on making dumpling skins from scratch

Bend Into Shape

Place the wrapper in the gap between your thumb and the rest of your fingers. Make sure you have an equal amount of skin showing on the sides facing away and toward you. Squeeze the dumpling into a crescent moon shape and tamp down the filling.

Get Folding

Start by pinching the end nearest your free hand with your thumb and the side of your pointer finger. Release and rotate your palm with the jiaozi skin towards your free hand and press down again in the same manner as before.

Keep this rotating and pinching motion until you fold the entire dumpling together. Chef Ming tells us that 18-22 folds are preferable, but we think that if you made it without any of the filling spilling out, you’re good to go.
 

Cheat: A simple, yet effective method is to place the dumpling skin in the arch between your thumb and index finger. Fold the dumpling in half, squeezing together in a slightly triangular shape. Presto. It's ready for cooking.

Cook 'Em

Northern custom is to boil jiaozi, but for a more delicate and fragrant finish, try steaming jiaozi. First, score a bamboo basket for steaming at any local wet market. Put down a piece of greased wax paper over the bottom of the basket and place your jiaozi inside. Then take a wok and boil a few inches of water in the bottom. When the water boils, place the bamboo basket on top and steam for seven and a half minutes. Carefully remove before the dumplings cool down.

For die-hard traditionalists, stick with boiling. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Carefully add jiaozi in batches of roughly 20. When the water returns to boil, throw in a bowl of cold water. Repeat the boil-cold water step two more times, then drain and serve.

A popular and tasty method of preparing jiaozi is to pan-fry them. Heat oil in a large skillet and add dumplings once oil is ready. Fry until the dumplings are golden brown on one side (about 1 minute), add 1/4 cup of water and cover. Wait until the water is absorbed and the dumplings are cooked through. Add sesame oil at the very end to give a crisp finish.

Take a Dip

For dipping, add vinegar and soy sauce together in a 2:1 ratio (ginger slices optional!). For a spicy kick, check out a dipping recipe courtesy of Black Sesame Kitchen: Heat 1/2 cup of cooking oil in a wok for 3 minutes on high. Place 4 tbsp of ground chili peppers in a heat-safe bowl (you can also add some garlic cloves, leeks, coriander, and ginger slices.). Pour the hot oil over the chili peppers and let cool before serving.

Many thanks to Chef Chan Chih-Ming and the team at Din Tai Fung for letting us occupy their kitchen in search of the perfect wrapping technique. Also, for those who are too lazy to DIY, we're happy to report that Din Tai Fung will be open during the entirety of the Spring Festival.