Each month Simone at Jungle Frog Cooking hosts a Donna Hay photography and styling challenge. The goal of the challenge is to try to reproduce an image from Donna Hay magazine and to learn and have some fun along the way.  I’ve always loved seeing everyone’s submissions and this month the challenge was to reproduce the Mushroom Dumplings with Ginger and Shiitake Broth photo from the Autumn 2012 edition. So I finally decided I’d have a go myself, especially considering the main ingredient is mushrooms, which you all know I adore.
Finally, I decided to take some photos of the broth the way I would style it.
All in all, this was a fun challenge, and I look forward to participating again in the future.
So how does the soup taste?
Fantastic actually, although I had to change the original recipe a little to make it vegetarian and also due to the lack of availability of some ingredients.
Even my husband – who before we met hated mushrooms and but has come to enjoy them over the years since we’ve been together, although his tolerance for anything too mushroomy is limited – loved it.
I will definitely make this Mushroom Dumplings with Ginger and Shiitake Broth recipe again. However, I will make a few changes to suit our tastes. Specifically the dumplings, which while I found cute in their pyramid shape they were too big to eat gracefully. I think next time I will make little dumpling purses. Finally, just before serving I added some chopped choy sum for a bit of greenery and textural difference.
Mushroom Dumplings with Ginger and Shiitake Broth
Ingredients
- BROTH
- 1 litre of vegetable stock
- 500 mls of water
- 10 cm piece of ginger peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic lightly crushed
- 50 g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tbs rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbs caster sugar
- 100 g fresh shiitake mushrooms
- coriander and red chilli to garnish
- MUSHROOM DUMPLINGS
- 1 tbs peanut oil
- 400 g mixed asian mushrooms
- 2 cm ginger peeled and finely grated
- 1 red chilli chopped
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tbs soy sauce, gluten-free variety if needed
- 1 tbs rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbs of kecap mains
- 1/4 cup coriander (chopped cilantro)
- 24 wonton wrappers
Instructions
- To make the mushroom dumplings, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms, galangal, chili and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the soy, vinegar and kecap manis and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir through the coriander. Set aside to cool completely.
- Place the wonton wrappers on a clean bench top dusted lightly with rice flour and brush the edges of the wrappers with water. Place 2 teaspoons of the mushroom mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper and bring each corner together to form a pyramid shape. Cover and set aside.
- Place the stock, water, ginger, garlic, dried shiitake mushrooms, rice wine and sugar in a saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Strain the broth and return to the saucepan. Increase the heat to medium, add the dumplings and fresh shiitake mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes or until wontons are transparent. Top with coriander and chili and serve with chili oil.
bondiwaves says
This looks amazing – I can’t wait to give it a try! Thanks 🙂
[email protected] says
I love the pictures, and this recipe is gorgeous. And vegan too!! Awesome!!!! Bookmarked.
[email protected] says
I def prefer your styling shot 🙂 although both look great Jen!
Moya says
Love the photographs and I think you did a fantastic job, the soup looks so delicious and healthy! 🙂
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
I like your version very much, I think you did a great job with the challenge. Chris Court is one of my favorite photographers, I really love his work.
Jen Laceda @ Tartine and Apron Strings says
Jen, these are lovely photos!!! You make me want to reach out inside my screen and have a sip of that hot broth! Mouthwatering! Since we’re going into autumn in our neck of the woods, this is a perfect dish for those chilly nights 🙂
Jenn says
Oooh I very much like your styled version! The chopped ingredients in the back help tell the store of the dish being made. Those mushrooms are beautiful!
Johanna GGG says
Interesting to see these different recipes. I agree that I prefer your final photo – partly because I am not a huge fan of Donna Hay’s style and partly because I think it is obviously a style you are so much more comfortable with – I really like your photos and I think the idea of copying someone else’s to learn is useful but in the end great photos will have your own style
Mushrooms Canada says
Your recreation of this Mushroom Dumplings with Ginger and Shiitake Broth is absolutely perfect in my books! I love your idea of making dumpling “purses” for bite-size enjoyment, I’d probably have to do the same if I ever want dinner guests again. Well done and thanks for sharing!
-Shannon
Tina @ bitemeshowme says
Wow, just wow. What a ripper of a dish – it looks like that perfect winter warmer. I see myself having a large bowl of this, sitting in front of the telly all rugged up in my pjs. Oh it looks perfect… and I love the sound of the broth – ginger and shiitake go so well together.
Kankana says
I tried so much to photo shoot this soup but it was hard and finally I gave up! Your looks very neat and pretty close to the original.
[email protected] says
Looks lovely 😉 Very healthy too hehe ~ great recipe thanks for sharing!
Claire @ Claire K Creations says
It looks great Jen! Not an easy challenge at all but it looks delicious.
Rosa says
A wonderful dish! This broth looks amazing. beautiful pictures too. Great job!
Cheers,
Rosa
Simone says
Yay, you participated!! How cool is that… ! Definitely like your try but yes the broth looks a bit different. I struggled as well with the dumplings and I did make pouches which don’t exactly look the same and they do disintegrate fairly quickly I found. I love your own styling possibly more then the original! Glad you liked the recipe too as I thought it was delicious! So glad you joined in this month Jennifer!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love mushrooms, these dumplings look fantastic! Great job on the photo challenge – personally, I like your styling best :).
Aunt Clara says
You did a great job, your photo might be identical to the original, but still is very good. And darn if it doesn’t look like something I could try about now.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
You win, Donna loses in my book. I do want to say that I love her styling and photos but to me, she’s not perfection. She has a certain style and she rarely strays from it so we always know when we see a photo if it’s hers or not. Your food always comes across as real food that I can envision myself eating.
Like this bowl of dumplings and broth 🙂
Sneh | Cook Republic says
Love your take on the Donna Hay challenge and I could eat the contents of that bowl for lunch!!
[email protected] at Marina says
Lovely presentation and sure is delicious! 🙂
Christine says
I think your photos look fantastic! Especially love the second one with the prepared vegies in the background. Definitely pinning this recipe for later as well – I’m a total mushroom fiend as well… 🙂
Jennifer says
Thanks Christine 😀 Hehe I’ve never thought of myself as a mushroom fiend, but you’re right. I totally am 😀 Glad to see I’m not alone 😉