Instructions: Advance preparation: In a bowl, combine the green onions, ginger, veal, oyster sauce, rice wine and chile sauce. Mix thoroughly. Place 2 teaspoons filling in the center of a wrapper. (If using square wonton wrappers, trim them into circles.) Bring edges of wrapper up around filling and encircle the dumpling "waist" with your index finger and thumb. Squeeze the waist gently with that same index finger, while also pressing the top and the bottom of the dumpling with your other index finger and thumb. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, dust paper heavily with cornstarch, place dumplings on the baking sheet, and refrigerate uncovered. Set aside the cooking oil. Combine all sauce ingredients and mix well. All advance preparation steps may be completed up to 8 hours before you begin the final cooking steps. Final cooking steps: Place a 12-inch nonstick saute pan over high heat. Add cooking oil and immediately add dumplings bottom side down.

Fry dumplings until bottoms become dark golden, about 2 minutes. Pour in sauce. Immediately cover pan, reduce heat to medium, and steam dumplings until they are firm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Shake the pan so that the dumplings "capsize" and are glazed all over with the sauce. Tip out onto a heated serving platter or 4 heated dinner plates. Serve at once.

Suggested accompaniments: Roasted baby beets, a Cobb salad, and raspberries with Grand Marnier truffles.

Serves 6 to 10 as an appetizer or 4 as the main entree.

NOTES : This Thai version of the north Chinese classic has many variations.

In place of the ground veal, try substituting ground chicken, pork, lamb

or raw minced shrimp or salmon. Vary the flavor of the sauce. Substitute

freshly squeezed orange or tangerine juice for the coconut milk. Omit the

curry powder. Use a blend of chopped mint, basil, cilantro, and chives.

Or add 1 teaspoon of finely minced lime zest. Any of these variations

will make you a culinary hero.

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