Deep-Fried Meatballs in Golden Broth

Chinese markets are social places, where people gather to gossip and shop and bicker over prices. In the north, people in the marketplace sit and fold dumplings with incredible dexterity while they chat. They fill wheat dough with combinations of pork and Chinese celery, or pork and coriander stems, and also add mushrooms and other vegetables to the mix. Occasionally, you can find someone frying the fillings without their wrappers, like meatballs. We’ve done the same with this dish, adding