Potstickers (鍋貼 or guōtiē) are a Northern Chinese style dumpling popular as an appetizer or side order in Japanese cuisine and Chinese cuisine. This dish is often served on a Dim Sum menu, but may be offered independently. The filling for this dish usually contains pork (or chicken), cabbage, scallions , ginger, and sesame seed oil. The mixed filling is sealed into a dumpling wrapper, steamed in a wok, and then fried to crispness on one side in a shallow frying pan. The effect of the one crisp side of the dumpling is where it gets its English name of potsticker as it appears to have been stuck to the pot in which it was cooked. The potsticker is similar to the Japanese Gyoza dumpling.

Recipe

Yield: About 24 Potstickers

Ingredients:
1 package gyoza or wonton wrappers

Filling:
1/2 pound ground chicken or pork
1/2 pound ground prawn or raw shrimp
12 raw prawns, chopped
1/2 cup water chestnuts, fresh if possible, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon light soy sauce or Kikkoman
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon salt
Pinch of white pepper if desired
3 tablespoons green/spring onion, minced
3 tablespoons ginger, minced
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Directions:
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 the potstickers with Dipping Sauce or soy sauce.

History

The potsticker is said to date back to the Sung Dynasty (960-1280 A.D.).

External Links

Potsticker Guru