Like Spotted Cow, these dumplings are complexly subtle affair. A light brininess provides a back drop for the sweetness of scallops and carrot, all cut by a bit of ginger and pepper. Pairing these with a higher impact beer would just drown them out. Pairing a less eatery beer would cause the brininess to overwhelm and the beer might even become metallic tasting. If you do not have access to spotted cow, an American-Style Wheat beer like Bell’s Oberon would be a good stand in for this pairing.

Scallop Dumplings
Credit for these dumplings goes to the brilliant Andrea Nguyen; the original can be found in her fabulous book Asian Dumplings. Andrea’s cookbooks are a joy to read and cook from. Not only are her recipes spot on and the pictures gorgeous, there is a personal touch to her writing and she provides guidance for navigating the shelves of Asian grocery stores.
This recipe calls for steaming the dumplings; specialized equipment makes for easy work, though a collapsible veggie steaming set in a wide stock pot or sauté pan with the lid cracked gets the job done. Also, a tortilla press is useful for making the wrappers, but the bottom of a small skillet or even a double old fashioned glass will work.

1. Place dried scallops in small dish and add hot, just boiled water; set aside.
2. Combine raw scallops with salt, pepper, sugar, corn starch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry and sesame oil; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or overnight.
3. Heat neutral oil in small frying pan, add ginger and stir until fragrant; add carrots, then dried scallops with soaking water and sauté 2 minutes. Add garlic chives and sauté for another minute. Set aside to cool.
4. Combine dry ingredients for dough. Add just boiled water and stir until starches are fully hydrated. Add oil, stir to incorporate, then form into ball. Knead on bare surface until dough is smooth and white. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces, place in plastic bag to steam, and set aside.
5. Line steamer with oiled parchment paper, and prepare steamer.
6. Divide the first one-third of the dough into 8 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a ball and keep them covered to prevent drying.  Take one ball at a time and press using a tortilla press or other flat, round surface.  It works well to line the press with lightly oiled parchment to prevent sticking.
7. Hold the flattened dough circle in the slightly cupped fingers of one hand, and using the other hand, scoop about 1 scant tablespoon filling into the center of the circle. Gently pinch to seal the dough around the filling.  You may shape the pinched edge into a slight ruffle by folding and pinching along the sealed edge, then set the filled dumpling in the steamer tray and press down slightly so that it stands upright.
8. Fill the remaining seven dough balls.  You may choose to begin steaming your first tray, or repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have used up the remaining dough and filling to form a total of 24 dumplings.
9. Steam dumplings for 7-9 minutes, until dough is translucent and dumplings are  slightly inflated.
10. Serve with soy sauce for dipping.