I discovered Pot Stickers at about the same time I was introduced to Scallion Cakes. Pan-fried on only one side, the dough for these dumplings is at once crisp and chewy. When I was about eleven years old, I could sometimes devour a dozen of these fried dumplings at one sitting. It was such a sweet pleasure to eat as much as you wanted and still be a skinny child. Filled with pork, cabbage, and a rich broth, every bite was heavenly.
The secret of these pot stickers is to reduce the Homemade Chicken Broth until it is concentrated enough to jell when refrigerated. The broth should then be roughly chopped and stirred into the filling mixture right before the dumplings are formed. The Pot Stickers are pan-fried only on one side a few minutes until golden. A little water is added, the lid is placed on the pan, and then, as the dumplings steam-cook, the broth melts. To eat, place a pot sticker in a deep spoon (traditionally, a Chinese porcelain spoon) and sprinkle with a few ginger shreds and a little red rice vinegar. Gently bite into the dumpling and the delicious broth that has now melded with the flavors of the pork filling will burst forth.
Makes about 30 pot stickers. Serves 6 to 8 as part of a multicourse lunch.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup homemade chicken broth
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
- 4 large leaves napa cabbage, about 8 ounces
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 ounces ground pork butt
- 1/4 cup finely minced scallions
- 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger, plus 1/4 cup finely shredded ginger
- 1 tablespoon thin soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons plus 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon shao hsing rice cooking wine
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/3 cup chinese red rice vinegar
DIRECTIONS In a small saucepan bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Boil on high heat, uncovered , 5 to 10 minutes, or until the broth is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Pour the broth into a small bowl and refrigerate until firm.
Measure 3/4 cup boiling water into a glass measuring cup and cool for 10 minutes. Place 2 cups flour in a medium bowl. Add the hot water and stir until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Lightly dust your hands with flour and work the mixture for a few seconds at a time, as the mixture will be very hot, to form a dough. Turn onto a worksurface that has been lightly dusted with about 1 tablespoon flour, and knead briefly for 5 minutes with lightly floured hands, adding more flour if necessary, until smooth. Cover with a slightly damp cloth and allow to rest for 1 hour.
Trim 1/4 inch from the stem end of each cabbage leaf and discard. Stack 2 to 3 cabbage leaves at a time and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide shreds to make about 8 cups. Add salt and toss to combine. Transfer the cabbage to a colander and drain. About 1 cup of liquid will be released, especially if you squeeze the cabbage from time to time.
In a medium bowl, combine the pork, scallions, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, rice wine, and sugar. Set aside.
After the dough has rested, continue kneading 5 more minutes on a lightly floured surface. The dough should be elastic, smooth and not sticky. Roll the dough into an even rope about 15 inches long. Cut the rope into 1/2-inch pieces to form about 30 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Flatten each ball with a rolling pin that has been lightly dusted with flour into 3-inch rounds, rolling from the center to the edges, making the center slightly thicker and the edges thinner. Cover all unused dough with a slightly damp cloth.
The chicken broth should be firm by now. Roughly chop the broth into bite-sized pieces. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Squeeze any excess moisture from the cabbage. The cabbage should have the appearance of having been cooked. Add the cabbage and chopped chicken broth to the pork mixture. Place about 2 teaspoons of pork in the center of each round of dough. Fold in half to form a half-moon, and pinch one end of the half-moon together. Using your thumb and index finger, make 4 or 5 small pleats in the front piece of dough, then pinch together the other end of the dough to seal the dumpling. If necessary, brush a little water to help the dough stick together. Dust each dumpling lightly with flour. Stand each dumpling so the rounded edge is upright.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon oil, and carefully add 8 dumplings, rounded-side up, about 1/2 inch apart. Pan-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown, gently using a metal spatula to make sure the dumplings are not sticking to the wok. Add 1/3 cup cold water, immediately coverthe wok, and cook 3 minutes. Uncover the wok, and fry 2 more minutes on medium heat, or until almost all the water has evaporated. The dumplings should be served immediately. Place the vinegar and the remaining shredded ginger in little condiment dishes and serve with the dumplings. Using 1 tablespoon oil for each batch, continue frying the remaining dumplings, 8 at a time.
