Asian Dumplings

I have been searching for a potsticker recipe for quite some time. Every recipe I came across had too many cons for my tastes.  This long and unsuccessful search led me to combining several recipes into one rather tasty finger food.

These little dumplings are rather addictive. They are good hot. Cold. As a late night snack. Breakfast even? Honestly, this filling can be changed so easily and by what’s in season that I probably could not get tired of eating these little lovelies.  When I first made these, they were vegetarian, and I used half of a medium sized head of cabbage plus the rest of the listed ingredients (recipe below).  This recipe contains pork, which I substituted half of the cabbage for half a pound of ground pork.  Just as tasty and filling.

Another reason I absolutely love this recipe is that it gives me an excuse to pull out my super duper, fancy schmancy stand mixer (I think we all know what mixer every cook/baker wants to have on their kitchen counter) and make some homemade wonton wrappers.  Yes, I made my own wonton wrappers.  Yes, I know I can go out and buy a package of 50 wrappers for $2.50 and cut the prep time in half.  But where’s the fun in that?  The recipe I used (found here) makes about 75 wrappers (depending on size and shape) for less than one dollar.  My recipe and tips to follow in a future post.

I want to freeze these bad boys so I can have them any time I want.  I'll update this post when I do that.

Asian Potstickers
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma and Om Nom Ally

50-75 Wonton Wrappers 

Filling
1/2 pound Ground Pork
2 cups Cabbage, cored and finely chopped (about 1/4 medium cabbage)
3 Scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup Carrots, finely chopped
1 medium Zucchini, grated
1 inch Ginger, grated
2 large Garlic Cloves, grated
1-2 tsp Rice Vinegar
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Hoisin
1/8 tsp Sesame Oil
2-3 tsp Salt (about 1 tsp for every cup of cabbage)
1/2 - 1 tsp Chili Garlic Paste (optional)

Dipping Sauce
~ 1/8 cup Soy or Teriyaki Sauce
1/8 - 1/4 tsp Chili Garlic Paste (depending on how spicy)
1 tsp Rice Vinegar
2 tsp Hoisin

1. Using a food processor, process cabbage until finely chopped.  Place cabbage in a large bowl. Add salt.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Using a towel, squeeze out the liquid and place back into bowl.
2. Grate the zucchini. Using a towel, squeeze out the liquid. Add to cabbage.
3. Cut the carrot and scallions into the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add to cabbage.
4. To cabbage, add ground pork, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin, and sesame oil. Mix until well combined.
5. On each wonton square, place 2 teaspoons of filling. Dip finger or basting brush into water and cover the out edges of the wrapper. Fold together while squeezing out excess air. Continue this process with remaining dumplings.
6. In a large pan over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Heat until hot and almost smoking.  Add 10 to 12 wontons and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water or chicken stock to the pan and cover. Cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes, until all the liquid is evaporated. Continue this process until all wontons are cooked.
7. Dipping Sauce: In a ramekin, combine the soy sauce, hoisin, chili garlic paste, and rice vinegar. Stir until combined.