Pot Stickers Recipe

For those of you who asked for the recipe. It was a little too long to send!

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 cup very finely chopped napa cabbage
8 ounces lean ground pork
2 tablespoons finely chopped water chestnuts
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2/3 cup chicken broth, divided

Dipping Sauce
Soy sauce and sweet red chili sauce (ratio depends on your taste preference)

1. Place flour in large bowl and make a well in center. Pour in boiling water; stir with a wooden spoon until dough begins to hold together. Knead dough until smooth and satiny on lightly floured surface, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.
(You can substitute prepared wrappers for this, but they do have a different texture!)

2. For filling, squeeze cabbage to remove as much moisture as possible; place in a large bowl. Add pork, water chestnuts, onion, soy sauce, sherry, ginger, cornstarch, sesame oil and sugar; mix well.

3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions; cover 1 portion while you work with other portion. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut out 3 inch circles with round cookie cutter or clean can. Place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in center of each dough circle.

4. To shape each pot sticker, lightly moisten edges of dough circle with water; fold in half. Starting at one end, pinch curled edges together making 4 pleats along edge. Set dumpling down firmly seam-side up. Cover finished pot stickers while you make remaining dumplings. (Cook immediately, refrigerate for up to 4 hours , OR freeze in a resealable plastic bag.

5. To cook, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat (I've used pans that weren't nonstick and they turned out fine as well). Set 1/2 of pot stickers in pan seam-side up. ) If cooking frozen dumplings, do not thaw.) Cook until bottoms are golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Pour in 1/3 cup of the chicken broth. Cover tightly, reduce heat, and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes (15 if frozen). Repeat with remaining oil, pot stickers, and broth.

Recipe yield is supposed to be around 32 pot stickers, but I always come up short. :) My cutter is a little bigger than 3 inches.

** Note: The filling also works terrific for wontons! If you have leftover filling (or cannot find ground pork in 8 ounce packages) you can easily double the filling recipe and do pot stickers one night and wonton soup the next.