Spring onion and herb broth / pancetta & parmesan dumplings

Image courtesy of bbc good food.

This dish is perfect for springtime and will serve well as a hearty lunch or as a light evening meal. A complete meal in itself, will bring delight to the palate and satisfyingly filling, with herb inspired overtones providing a light yet fragrant dish.

You will need (serves 2):

For the broth

600ml Vegetable stock (boiling)
1 large clove garlic finely chopped
2 shallots, finely diced
1 bunch / 8 spring onions, very finely chopped
handful of mix of fresh parsley, tarragon, sage and basil, finely chopped
Teaspoon of arrowroot powder

For the dumplings:

6 Gyoza wrappers
4 slices pancetta, finely chopped
thumb sized piece of parmesan, finely grated
1/5 of the herb bouqet mentioned in the broth section
Thumbnail sized piece of butter.
1/4 tablespoon black pepper

The doing bit:

Make the dumplings first.

Mix the pepper, pancetta, parmesan, butter and herbs together in a small bowl.
Take a gyoza wrapper and add a teaspoon sized mixture of the above, and then close each wrapper and seal the edges with a little water. Set to one side.

For the broth, sautee in a saucepan the shallots until soft, add the spring onions until they turn bright green, then add the herbs and the stock. Bring to the boil.Wet down the arrowroot with a little cold water and work to a thin paste and add to the broth. Allow to cook for 2 minutes then the broth is ready to use.

In a large frying pan, add a little oil then sear the dumplings until coloured each side. Place lid on pan then turn off the heat, adding a little of the broth to the pan. Allow to stand for 2 minutes then serve in a large bowl with the broth.