Pork Pot Stickers (with Dim Sum Dipper and Cranberry-Teriyaki Sauce)

If you read last week's Asian Braised Short Ribs with Cranberry-Teriyaki Sauce post, then you already know that the hot sauce exploded in my blender, all over me and most of the kitchen. In fact, I thought I got it all, but I'm still finding little spots of crusty, dried up sauce in the most unexpected places (it's like a way less fun Easter egg hunt). Anyway, if you think after that I was going to let even one precious drop of that sauce go to waste, you're crazy. So I made these potstickers to dip in it. As you'll see, I didn't follow all the directions in this recipe - I was definitely feeling a little surly (still pissed about the sauce debacle I guess). But I posted the recipe as is, for those of you in a better mood. But my potstickers still turned out great, plus I don't have any fresh cuts or burns and I still have both my eyebrows.

PORK POT STICKERS

Makes 30 potstickers

1/4 small head Napa cabbage, finely chopped (about 2 cups; 7 ounces)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/8 teaspoon for seasoning

1/3 pound ground pork (not too lean)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (from 1/2-inch knob)

1 small carrot, coarsely shredded (about 2 tablespoons)

2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Asian (toasted) sesame oil

1/2 egg, lightly beaten

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

30 gyoza (pot sticker) wrappers, from 1 (14-ounce) package*

1/4 cup canola oil

*Available at Asian markets, or in the refrigerated section of many supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute wonton wrappers and cut into 3 1/4-inch rounds.

accompaniments: dim sum dipper (see below) and cranberry-teriyaki glaze.

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1.      In large bowl, toss together cabbage and 3/4 teaspoon salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Transfer to clean dish towel or cheesecloth, gather ends together, and twist to squeeze out as much water as possible. Wipe bowl clean, then return cabbage to it. Add pork, ginger, carrots, scallions, and garlic and stir to combine.

2.      In small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, and egg, then stir into cabbage-pork mixture. Stir in pepper and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt.

3.      On dry surface, lay out 1 gyoza wrapper, keeping remaining wrappers covered with dampened cloth or paper towel. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons filling into center, then moisten halfway around edge with wet finger. Fold moisture-free half of wrapper over moistened half to form open half-moon shape. To seal, using thumb and forefinger of one hand, form 6 tiny pleats along unmoistened edge of wrapper, pressing pleats against moistened border to enclose filling. Moistened border will stay smooth and will automatically curve in semicircle. Stand dumpling, seam-side up, on baking sheet and gently press to flatten bottom. Cover loosely with dampened cloth or paper towel. Form remaining dumplings in same manner.

4.      In large non-stick skillet over moderately high heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking, then remove from heat and arrange pot stickers in tight circular pattern standing up in oil (they should touch one another). Cook, uncovered, until bottoms are pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, tilting skillet to distribute, then cover tightly with lid and cook until liquid has evaporated and bottoms of dumplings are crisp and golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons more water if skillet looks dry before bottoms are browned. Remove lid and cook, shaking skillet to loosen pot stickers, until steam dissipates, 1 to 2 minutes. Invert large plate with rim over skillet. Using pot holders, hold plate and skillet together and invert skillet. Remove skillet and serve pot stickers warm.

from Ming Tsai, Blue Ginger

scallions

cabbage

Only it's not nappa cabbage because I didn't have that, so I used
savoy. Also, I didn't do the step of salting it and waiting 30 minutes
and squeezing out the water because guess what, I didn't feel like it.
That, and I didn't read the recipe first and only had an hour to make these.
But guess what again, it didn't matter. The dumplings still came out great.

pork, scallions, carrot, ginger and garlic

unsalted, un-squeezed cabbage added

adding soy sauce to the egg

adding sesame oil to the soy sauce & egg

pouring the egg/soy sauce/sesame oil into the other stuff

filling all mixed

There weren't any gyoza wrappers at the store, so I used wonton
wrappers. Only I didn't cut them into rounds like Ming Tsai
told me to. I just left them in plain old squares.

filling on a wonton wrapper

folded over into a triangle

sides folded in

raw dumplings

pan frying

I also didn't cook these according to the recipe. Because
again, no time. So I simply pan fried them in a little oil.
Boom...cooked and delicious (nice and crunchy on the outside).

some flipped and golden

draining on paper towels

pork potstickers

DIM SUM DIPPER

Makes about 1 cup

2 tablespoons sambal

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

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Combine everything in a small bowl. Mix and use or store.

from Simply Ming by Ming Tsai

sambal (spicy chili sauce)

mixing with rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil

dipping a potsticker in the dim sum dipper

The only problem was that none of the sambal chunks would stick
to the potsticker. So we poked a little hole in them and then spooned
the dim sum dipper inside. Another make-it-work moment.

CRANBERRY-TERIYAKI GLAZE

Makes about 2 cups

1/2 large red onion, sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger

1/2 cup dried cranberries, such as Craisins

zest and juice of 1/2 orange

1/2 cup naturally brewed soy sauce

1 cup cranberry juice

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil for cooking

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.      In a saucepan coated lightly with oil over high heat, sauté the onions, ginger and dried cranberries until soft, about 5 minutes.

2.      Add the orange zest and juice, naturally brewed soy sauce, cranberry juice, and sugar and bring to a simmer. Reduce by half over low heat, about 10 to 15 minutes.

3.      Immediately, transfer to a blender and blend until almost smooth, drizzling in oil (do not blend until super smooth, with small bits is preferable). Taste and adjust seasonings.

4.      Let come to room temperature, then transfer to a glass jar, seal and store in fridge for up to two weeks.

from Ming's Master Recipes by Ming Tsai

For cranberry-teriyaki sauce photos (including my
blender explosion and burnt wrist/arm), check out:
Asian Braised Short Ribs with Cranberry-Teriyaki Sauce

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Thai-Style Pork Dumplings with Coriander Dipping Sauce

I know these dumplings are good because: a) I ate them and thought to myself "mmm, these are really good". b) my daughter ate a two of them and told me they were good before she spotted a piece of red pepper in the third one and spit it out and declared she wouldn't eat any more (which is a little weird because I'm pretty sure she likes red peppers). And c) my dad happened to be over and he ate a whole bunch of them in spite of the fact that there were vegetables of any kind in there (the only veggies he tolerates are lettuce and cucumbers, preferably drizzled with dressing). If you actually ask him what vegetables he likes, he'll usually tell you that he eats blueberries every morning.

THAI-STYLE PORK DUMPLINGS WITH CORIANDER DIPPING SAUCE

Makes 60 dumplings

Filling:

1/4 cup minced scallion

1 pound ground pork

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger root

1 red bell pepper, minced (about 1/2 cup)

2/3 cup minced cabbage

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander, plus a few sprigs set aside for garnish

1 large egg, beaten lightly

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

60 shao mai wrappers* (round won ton wrappers), thawed if frozen

cornstarch for dusting the baking sheet

Dipping Sauce:

1 tablespoon naam pla* (fish sauce)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon shredded fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

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1.      Filling: In a bowl combine all the filling ingredients. Mix well and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

2.      Put about 1 heaping teaspoon filling in the center of 1 of the wrappers and moisten the edge of the wrapper. Gather the edge of the wrapper up and around the filling and form a waist with the wrapper, pushing the dumpling from the bottom and keeping the filling level with the top of the wrapper. (The filling should not be enclosed.) Continue to make dumplings with the remaining wrappers and filling in the same manner and arrange them in one layer on a baking sheet lined with wax paper dusted lightly with the cornstarch.

The dumplings may be prepared up to this point 8 hours in advance and kept uncovered and chilled (or 1 month in advance and kept covered tightly and frozen). If the dumplings are frozen, do not thaw them before cooking.

3.      Dipping Sauce: Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl; adjust seasonings to taste.

4.      In a large non-stick skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it fry half the dumplings, flat sides down, over moderately high heat for 1 minute, or until the undersides are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and steam the dumplings, covered, over moderate heat for 3 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through. (If using frozen dumplings, fry them, frozen, for 1 minute, or until the undersides are golden, and steam them, adding 3/4 cup water per batch, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through.) Repeat with the remaining oil and dumplings.

5.      Garnish dumplings with coriander sprigs and serve with the dipping sauce.

*available at Asian markets, specialty foods shops, and many supermarkets

from Gourmet, September 1991

scallions

chopped red bell pepper

ginger root

chopped cabbage

Mine has little bits of carrot in it because I bought one of those bags of
already shredded cabbage with carrots (great for making quick cole slaw)

everything but the egg

pouring in the egg

filling all mixed

putting filling on a wonton wrapper
(I could only find square ones)

Because my wonton wrappers were square, I couldn't really make
the dumplings look exactly like the recipe instructed. So I played
around, pinching the edges in various ways, trying to figure out out
how to make them look good, but still have the filling open on top.

In the end, I settled for a free form approach (and dropped the whole notion of
them looking great). The filling isn't level with the top, but it got the job done.

pan frying the bottoms

adding water to steam

steamed dumplings

Actually, once they're steamed, from far away a few of
them (if you squint your eyes a bit), look a little like roses.

cilantro (a.k.a. coriander)

mint

lime

mixing the grated ginger into the rest of the dipping sauce

Thai-style dumplings with coriander dipping sauce

pouring some dipping sauce over a dumpling
(that was easier than dipping)

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Hundred Corner Shrimp Balls with Apricot Dipping Sauce

Okay, I know in the past I've said "fry a sock and it will taste good", but these are sooo much better than fried socks! (Especially the thick, chewy wool ones.) While I was making these little dim sum treats, one of them accidentally rolled onto the floor, so I threw it away. I didn't think much of it at the time, but after I tasted them, I was cursing myself out for letting one get away. That's how much I like them.

The outside is crispy, the inside is warm and almost creamy (except for the awesome welcome crunch from the water chestnuts). The dipping sauce is sweet and tangy. I feel comfortable guaranteeing you that these will be a big hit at your next party. And when I say guarantee, you don't actually get anything if your friends don't like them (so you can take your finger off your lawyer's speed dial).

HUNDRED CORNER SHRIMP BALLS

Makes approx. 60 hors d'oeuvres

1 1/2 lb. large shrimp (30), peeled and deveined

1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts (1 cup), rinsed and finely chopped

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine or Scotch

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion greens

2 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

8 cups vegetable oil for frying

1.      Pulse shrimp in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl, then stir in water chestnuts, egg white, rice wine, ginger, scallion, salt, and cornstarch. Beat shrimp mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon and throw it against side of bowl until combined well and compacted. Wet your hands with cold water and form teaspoons of shrimp mixture into balls, arranging in 1 layer on a wax-paper–lined tray. Coat balls, 1 at a time, in panko, then arrange in 1 layer on another wax-paper–lined tray.

2.      Preheat oven to 425° F.  Set a rack in the middle of the oven.

3.      Heat oil in a 5-quart pot to 375° F. Fry balls in 4 batches, turning, for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until golden and just cooked through. (Return oil to 375° F. between batches.) Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. When all shrimp balls are fried, place on a metal rack set inside a shallow baking pan and reheat until just hot, about 2 minutes.

Note: Shrimp balls may be coated and fried 1 day ahead, cooled completely, then chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before reheating on a wire rack on a sheetpan (so the bottoms don't get soggy). 

adapted from Gourmet, February 2000 (originally adapted from Nina Simonds)

shrimp in food processor

pulsed shrimp paste

ginger root (a microplane works great for grating)

water chestnuts

all the ingredients

mixed

raw shrimp balls

rolling in panko

rolled, raw shrimp balls

fried shrimp balls

shrimp balls served

APRICOT DIPPING SAUCE

 Makes about 2 cups

1 3/4 cups apricot jam

2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped scallion greens
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
dash of tabasco, or to taste
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Melt jam in a small saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm. Can be made 2 days ahead, cooled, then chilled, covered. Reheat sauce over low heat, stirring.

from Gourmet, February 2000 (originally adapted from Nina Simonds)

apricot jam

lime

dipping sauce in pan

shrimp ball going for a dip

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