An hour before you prepare your filling, wash and chop your napa cabbage into fine pieces. Squeeze out all the water and sprinkle a handful of salt. Let it sit to draw out any extra liquids.
After you are done preparing your cabbage, soak your dried wood ear mushrooms in a bowl of water. Ensure all the pieces of submerged.
Dump out the water you soaked your mushrooms in and diligently clean each piece. Chop off the hard ends and mince into tiny pieces.
Prepare Filling
If you're using frozen shrimp, ensure that they are completely defrosted. Peel and remove the tails. Mince into fine pieces.
Add ground shrimp into ground pork. Mix in whole egg.
Add in sesame oil, shaoxing wine, dark and light soy sauce, salt, and white pepper.
Incorporate napa cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, scallions, ginger, and garlic
At this stage, if you want to taste test, take a small portion of your filling and cook on an oiled pan.
Ensure that dough wrappers are defrosted. Prepare a cup of water to dip your fingers in if you are using packaged wrappers.
Fold
Place one scant tablespoon of filling in the center of the wrapper.
Wet your fingers and wet the entire inner edge of the wrapper.
Fold the dumpling by bringing the bottom edge to the top so it becomes a half circle. Squeeze the edges closed. Use your dominant hand to fold the edge into pleats. Ensure that pleats are all facing the same direction.
If you're planning on cooking the dumplings immediately, place on a floured baking tray or wooden board. If you're freezing them, place on a baking tray and freeze on tray first. Then transfer to a Ziploc bag.
If Pan-Frying
Heat 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet. Place dumplings in bottom down and let it cook for 2 minutes until bottoms are slightly browned.
Pour in ½ cup of water and immediately cover with a lid. This will create a steaming effect in the pan and cook the dumplings thoroughly. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Remove lid and let dumplings cook until liquid evaporates. Serve.
If Steaming
In a deep pan, fill with one cup of water and place steaming rack.
Cover plate with napa cabbage or rub with oil and lay on top of the steaming rack
Place dumplings on plate in a circle. Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes.