POTSTICKERS (GYOZA/CHINESE DUMPLINGS)

Y: 1 pack of wonton wrapper about 50 pcs.

Filling:

4 C Napa cabbage (sliced thin)

1 ½ t salt

1 lb ground pork

1/2 lb fresh shrimps (cleaned and minced)

2 to 3 stalks of green scallions (minced)

2 pieces of wood ears mushrooms /black fungus (optional)

1/4 t white pepper

2 ½ T soy sauce

1 ½ T freshly grated ginger

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1/2 t sesame oil

Oil and water for cooking

Slurry to seal the edges of the wonton wrappers:

2 T cornstarch

4 T water


Dipping Sauce:

1/2 C soy sauce

2 T rice wine vinegar

Dash of sesame oil

Chili oil to taste

Scallions minced to garnish


Procedure:

For the Dipping Sauce – Combine all ingredients in bowl. Set aside, can also be refrigerated for a week.


For the Slurry – Mix and stir cornstarch and water. Microwave for few seconds until you achieve a paste consistency.

For the Pot stickers:

1. Rehydrate/soak wood ears in luke warm water until tender, then chop.

2. Toss cabbage and salt. Squeeze out the liquid from the cabbage.

3. Combine the cabbage and all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

4. Fry a teaspoon of the filling to check and adjust the seasoning.

5. Refrigerate until cold about 30 minutes. It’s easier to wrap the filling when cold.

6. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of the wonton wrapper. Use enough of the mixture to fill out the wrapper completely without overstuffing it. Make sure to keep the edges clean giving you room to enclose the filling w/ the wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper with slurry.

7. Fold the bottom half of the wrapper to meet the top half that you moistened in the previous step and seal. At this point you will have the option to make a pleated or simple pot stickers.

8. Grease bottom of a nonstick pan with oil. Add the pot stickers by batches to the hot pan, laying them flat and being sure not to crowd. Place pan over medium high heat and cook for 4-5 minutes without moving. You want the sides to become golden brown.

9. Pour about 3 T of water and cover the pan for another 10 minutes. This is to steam the pot stickers.

9. Serve with the Dipping Sauce. These are delicious served hot!

I grind my own meat as much as possible.

Mis en place

A spoonful of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper with slurry.

Make the pleats on one side of the wrapper.

It should look like this.

I always make a lot, freeze them for later use. Place the potstickers on a sheet pan and place in the freezer.  Once the potstickers are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. The potstickers can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Cook the potstickers without thawing.