Potstickers

Today I had a hankering for potstickers. Potstickers are Asian dumplings that are browned in oil in a pan, then liquid is added, the pot is covered and they finish cooking by steaming. You could make whatever filling you like for the potstickers. I like to use ground pork.

Start by mixing 10 oz ground pork with 1 scallion, sliced, a small piece (1/4 inch) of ginger, peeled and grated, 1 clove of garlic, minced, a splash of sesame oil, a pinch of salt, a grinding of black pepper and 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder.

Set out some wonton wrappers (found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket, with the tofu - you can use square or round, but round is probably better) and place a small piece of filling in the middle. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water and fold the wrapper in half, sealing in the filling. If you are using the square wrappers, you can cut off the corners and press around the edges to seal.

To cook, get a lidded pan warm on medium heat. Add a little oil, swirl it around to coat the pan, and then add your potstickers, spacing them out. Allow them to get a nice browned crust on the bottoms, then add a small amount (about 1/4 cup) of water and add the lid quickly. Be careful - it will steam. Allow it to continue to steam for a few minutes until the liquid is all evaporated (keep an eye on the pan and check it when the steam stops - if you let it sit, the potstickers will burn). Carefully remove the potstickers from the pan and serve with a dipping sauce.

A simple sauce might have some soy sauce, a little chili (you could use sriracha, chili or red pepper flakes or fresh chili), a pinch of sugar and a little acid (you could use rice vinegar or lime juice). Adjust the amount of all of these components to your taste.

Note 1 - This recipe makes enough potstickers to serve 3 people as a generous-sized appetizer. If you make more than you need, they can be frozen (flour them if they are at all damp; a zip-lock bag is a good container to use).

Note 2 - If you do not have five spice powder, you can omit it from the recipe.

Note 3 - Metric info: 10 oz = 280 g; 1/4 inch = about 5 mm; 1/4 cup = 60 ml.