Lunar New Year reunites family and friends, celebrating togetherness and good luck for the new year. This means eating all the lucky foods you can, many of which are pockets.

This year, my dear friend Audra Ang, hosted a Chinese New Year potluck party that was full of pawsibly the best people and hilarious puppy puns that deserve a round of appaws in honor of the year of the dog. We were urged to unleash our inner hound and take on the year with no inhibichons (all wordplay courtesy of and inspired by the pun queen, Audra).

And fur the love of pocket foods, I made pork, shrimp and kimchi dumplings, adapted from Helen You’s pork and chive dumpling recipe in “Dumpling Galaxy,” as my contribution. I love the lightness shrimp creates in fillings and kimchi adds an undeniable crunch and burst of flavor. I knew I wouldn’t be able to steam these on the spot, so I pan-fried them in a slurry, creating a lacy, extra crisp coating on the flat side of the jiaozi. A drizzle of homemade chili oil over the top of these golden pouches added just the right amount of spice to make my forehead glisten (that’s when I know it’s good).

According to Chinese tradition, dumplings are some of the luckiest foods. It is said, the more dumplings you eat at the start of the new year, the wealthier you will be. I know all my good fortune is folded into these pockets.

Howl you celebrate the year of the dog?

Crispy Pork, Shrimp and Kimchi Dumplings

Dumpling Ingredients

Filling

• 2 lbs. ground pork

• 1 lbs. shrimp, chopped

• ½ cup Chinese chives, chopped

• 16 oz kimchi, chopped

• 2 Tbsp ginger, grated

• 4 Tbsp. sherry wine vinegar

• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

• 2 tsp. salt

• 2 tsp. pepper

• 1 egg, beaten

• 3 packs of round dumpling wrappers

• Vegetable Oil

Slurry Mixture

• 2 Tbsp. flour

• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar

• 1 cup water

Dumpling Directions

If frozen, take dumpling wrappers out to thaw on the counter for about an hour.

Open the jar of kimchi. Be careful as they like to explode. Drain kimchi through a fine mesh sieve before chopping.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pork, shrimp, chives, kimchi, ginger, sherry wine vinegar, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and beaten egg together until well incorporated.

Put about 2 teaspoons of filling into the center of dumpling wrapper. Dab edges with water. Carefully fold over to make a half-moon shape and press to seal in the center. On one side make three pleats toward the center. Repeat on opposite side. Pinch folds to insure a proper seal.

To pan fry, whisk flour, vinegar and water to make a slurry. Pour in about a teaspoon of oil at medium-high into a nonstick pan. Place five to six dumplings about 1 inch apart, flat-side down. Pour enough slurry in to coat the bottom of the nonstick pan. Cover with a lid, leaving some space for steam to escape. Cook on high for 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. Slurry should be golden and lace-like and dumplings wrappers should be slightly translucent. Flip onto a plate with the golden side face up. Wipe out pan and continue cooking 6 at a time.

If you are storing dumplings for later, freeze them on a single layer in a parchment-lined sheet pan for about 20 minutes before putting them into ziplock bags and back into the freezer.

Serve with a soy dipping sauce and chili oil.