JimK:  Totally forgot to post this yesterday.  I was going to make these fried dumplings but the only dumpling wrappers I could find were frozen solid…so I made another pesto-based pizza instead.  Made my own dough too (in the bread machine), which was a nightmare to work with but tasted pretty good for a first effort.

I know it seems like I have been doing a lot of Asian fusion stuff from these recipe posts, and I have.  It’s only going to get worse, as I just discovered a kick-ass Asian food market near my house with amazing produce and three aisles of the weirdest, most un-obtainable Asian cans and jars and dried bags of who the hell knows what you can imagine.  It’s awesome.  Food Star Asian Market on State St. in Hamden, if you live in the greater New Haven, CT area.

Then I saw this post linked off Tastespotting, and well….

So the dumpling potsticker things.  Approximately eleventy-three names exist for variations on this same recipe, so call it whatever the hell you want.  Shiu Mai, jiaozi, Chinese New Year dumplings, potstickers, fried dumplings, whatever, it’s all the same stuff, just cooked slightly differently.  Take any of your favorite steamed dumpling recipes, make them, quick-fry one side and then steam them.  Those are mostly called potstickers, and that is what I’m making.

My un-tested recipe is as follows:

Chinese Dumpling Filling

1 lb pork, ground
1/2 lb (about 2 cups) Choy (chinese cabbage)
1 egg (maybe 2 if they are small)
1/2 1 cup scallion, chopped
3/4 cup shiitake or black mushrooms, minced
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 2 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced
1 2 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp corn starch
gyoza or dumpling wrappers (wonton wrappers will do in a pinch, but you will want to make them round)

Dump everything (sans wrappers!) into a big bowl and mix it up.  Use a small amount of filling for each wrapper and seal the edges with water or a watered-down egg wash.  Like the recipe I linked up top, I too am using the Alton Brown super-cheap steamer.  Don’t forget to spray the pie plates first to prevent dumpling stickage!  Steam for 15 minutes to ensure the pork is cooked fully.

For fried dumplings ala Chinese take-out, fry one side of the raw dumpling in some canola or grapeseed oil first, then steam as mentioned above.

Dip them in some dumpling sauce…I bought some from the Asian market mainly because I’ve never seen a bottle of “dumpling sauce” before, but it’s easy to make.

Dumpling Sauce

1/3 cup dark soy sauce (or a mix of light & dark)
3 slices ginger, minced
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili oil

Mix.  Chop a little green onion to throw in there.  Done.

I’ll let you know how these turn out…in the mean time, what are (did) you making (make) this weekend?

JimK:  OMG.  So good.  A few tweaks to the recipe…I doubled the scallions, sherry vinegar, garlic and ginger in the meat filling.  I also added a tablespoon of cornstarch to help dry it out a little and bind it when it cooks.  So, so good.