Pork & Prawn Potstickers (aka Asian Dumplings)

Who doesn’t love Potstickers?  A fragrant, chewy dough glistening with sesame oil, the burst of flavor and aroma as your teeth tear into the super-hot, ginger-kissed filling, the contrast of the salty, spicy, tart, deliciously cool sauce.

Does it get better than this?

I don't think so.

But whether we know potstickers as Chinese Jiaozi (Jowd-zah) or Japanese gyoza (Gi-yoooo-za), most of us have never made them at home.

That should change. Because they are easy to make.

And better than any you have ever had in a restaurant. Even a very good restaurant.

Well okay, except maybe this restaurant. But they don't pan-fry their  incredible steamed dumplings. And they should. Plus, how often do you get to Bellevue, Washington?

So dive in and make your own incredibly delicious potstickers. Invite a slew of friends. Let them help. It's fun!

Pork & Prawn Potstickers with Spicy Dipping Sauce

This recipe is inspired by the version showcased in Andrea Nguyen’s most excellent Asian Dumplings cookbook. If you love Asian dumplings, this book is a must-have resource.

Note   For this amount of filling, which makes 36 dumplings, you need 2 batches of Asian Dumpling Dough. Be sure to prepare Asian Potsticker Dough (for Jiaozi & Gyoza Dumplings) before beginning this filling recipe.

Dough
2 pounds Asian Dumpling Dough (36, three-inch diameter wrappers)

Filling
2 cups lightly packed, finely chopped Napa cabbage (7 ounces)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
6 ounces ground pork
½ pound medium prawns, shelled, deveined, and minced (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons minced green onions or Chinese chives
1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger
1½ tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon sugar

Frying
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Steaming
1 cup water or chicken stock

Spicy Dipping Sauce (makes ½ cup)
4 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

Garnish
thinly sliced green onion

1. To make the filling, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cabbage with the salt and let sit for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Drain and rinse the cabbage and then lightly squeeze to remove excess liquid. You will have about ½ cup packed cabbage.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, garlic, ginger, pork and prawns.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, pepper, salt, and sugar.
4. Add soy sauce mixture to pork and prawn mixture, and stir to combine.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Alternatively, refrigerate for up to 24 hours, and then bring to room temperature before using to fill the dumplings.
6. To form the wrappers, follow the directions in Asian Dumpling Dough.
7. To fill the wrappers, hold a wrapper in your slightly cupped hand. Position 1 tablespoon of filling slightly off center, making sure to leave the edges of the wrapper clear. Fold the wrapper over the filling and press the edges together to form a half moon. Place completed dumplings, edges up, on a parchment paper-lined, lightly flour-dusted edged baking sheet. Press lightly to form a flat bottom on the dumpling. Cover completed dumplings with a clean kitchen towel as you continue to shape the remainder. Continue until all 16 wrappers are filled and shaped.
8. To store the dumplings, when the dumplings are filled, you can cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or freeze them for an hour, then transfer to a freezer bag for longer storage in the freezer. Dumplings can be cooked cold from the fridge or partially thawed from the freezer.
9. To make the dipping sauce, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, hot chili sauce. Taste and adjust the flavor as desired. Reserve.
10. To pan-fry dumplings, in a small bowl, combine the vegetable and sesame oils. In a 10½-inch, preferably nonstick skillet with a tight fitting lid, over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the combined oils. Arrange 9 dumplings, sealed edges up, in the hot oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. (It’s easiest to fry 9 dumplings at a time, but if you must cook 18 at once, use a larger skillet.)
11. To steam and finish the dumplings, cover the pan, and then move one edge slightly off the pan while adding water to a depth of about ¼-inch. The oil will sputter furiously, so stand back, keep the cover on, and be careful. Cover the skillet completely and continue cooking until water evaporates almost completely, 6-8 minutes. Carefully remove the lid, lower the heat a little, and fry for another 1-2 minutes, until the bottoms are crisp and brown.
12. To serve, remove dumplings from the skillet, arrange on a serving plate, and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Makes 18 dumplings; serves 4-5.

More Asian-Inspired Recipes from LunaCafe

• Asian Potsticker Dough (for Jiaozi & Gyoza Dumplings)
• Asian Pancakes (Beijing Pancakes)
• Asian Tacos with Prawn & Shiitake Filling & Cabbage Slaw
• Chinese Cracker Jacks
• Chinese Good Fortune Cookies
• Home-Style Chinese Fried Rice
• Spicy Korean Noodle Soup (Jjambbong)
• Spicy Pork Wonton Soup
• Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
• Thai Red Curry Paste
• Thai Red Curry Soup
• Vietnamese Crispy Crepes (Banh Xeo)

Cookin’ with Gas (inspiration from around the web)

• About.com: Perfect Potstickers
• Rasamalaysia: Potstickers (Chinese Dumplings)
• Real Butter: Chinese Dumplings & Potstickers
• Sakura Ave: Chinese Jiaozi vs. Japanese Gyoza: What’s the Difference?
• Spoon Fork Bacon: Pot Stickers
• Steamy Kitchen: Pan Fried Pork and Prawn Potstickers
• The Kitchn: Kenny Lao’s Rickshaw Dumplings

Asian Markets in or near Portland, Oregon

• H Mart (Tigard)
• Uwajimaya (Beaverton)
• Oriental Food Value (Southeast)
• Fubonn (Southeast)
• An Dong Market (Southeast)
• Om Seafood (Southeast)

Copyright 2014 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.