Potstickers With Dipping Sauce And Homemade Gyoza Wrappers

Potstickers (also called "jiaozi")

These popular dumplings are pan-fried on the bottom and steamed on top.

Mix together the filling ingredients. Place a small bowl of water on the work area. Lay out one of the gyoza wrappers in front of you. Dip your finger in the water and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the gyoza wrapper over the filling and pinch the edges to seal it shut. (You may want to use a cornstarch/water mixture to make this easier).

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok. When oil is ready, carefully add the dumplings and cook on high heat until golden brown (about 1 minute).

Without turning the dumplings over, add 1 cup of water and cover. Steam for about 1 minute to cook the raw filling and then turn off the heat (this is to keep the bottom from burning). Let the dumplings cook for a few more minutes with the heat turned off.

Serve with Dipping Sauce or soy sauce.

Making the Wrappers: The hardest part of making jiaozi is, without a doubt, rolling out the "skins" (the wrappers). The skin is made of a simple mixture of flour and boiling water:

Combine flour and water in a bowl and mix until the ingredients combine into a mound. Once the dough has been mixed and cooled, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Cover the dough and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Form the dough into 50 small balls and get ready to roll. For best results, use a small rolling pin to roll each of the circles of dough into flat circles. Or you may instead use a tortilla press to flatten the small rounds of dough into flat circles. Another option, the simplest of all, is to use store-bought skins, often called "gyoza wrappers." Don't feel like you're cheating if you opt for the easy way out, because many people in China (and throughout other parts of Asia) do the same!

Once you've prepared the filling and rolled out the skins, it's time to start putting the jiaozi together. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each of "skin" round. There are a few techniques for rolling jiaozi effectively; however, the simplest method is the most popular: Simply roll the skin over the filling, creating a half-moon shape. Dip your fingertips in a bowl of water and pinch the ends together.

Another technique creates a flower-like shape: Pull the "skin" up on either side of the mixture and pinch the top together; then, pull the remaining two sides upwards and pinch them closed on either side. Once stuffed, jiaozi can be frozen, refrigerated for short-term use or cooked immediately. If you would like to freeze them, layer the uncooked dumplings in airtight containers between sheets of wax or parchment paper, making sure that the pieces are not touching each other. Then seal the containers secure and freeze.

Asian Dipping Sauce: In a small mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, green onion, water, hoisin sauce, ginger, and sugar. Mix well, add additional hoisin sauce to thicken mixture to your desired consistency if needed. Cover the sauce, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to allow flavors time to blend. Before serving, pour mixture into a small saucepan and heat. Serve warm.

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce: In a small saucepan over a medium-low heat, whisk (using a metal whisk) together vinegar and cornstarch. Add oil, pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, and salt; whisking constantly until the mixture is heated through.

Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe for Potstickers from the "Flavors of Southeast Asia Cooking Class" given by Chef Nathan Hyam, author of Simply Thai.