Homemade Potstickers

The Assistant dough-maker.

While in Hong Kong, we ate close to our body weight in potstickers. Every night, we’d go to the Dragon Centre and eat our fill. By the time we got home, The Assistant was starting to go through withdrawals.

I first tried making them with store-bought wonton wrappers, and you know what? They’re good. They’re just… not the right texture. Think about the chewiness of a potsticker vs. the crunch of an eggroll. That’s the difference between the two. Eggrolls are wrapped in wonton dough. Good, perfectly shaped and easy to work with, but not quite perfect.

Some notes before we get started: I find sesame oil to be really potent, so instead of making the filling with all sesame oil, I opt for a blend of sesame and grapeseed, my go-to high-temperature sautéing oil. There’s also a grand debate online as to whether you should use Savoy cabbage or Napa cabbage as the filling. My supermarket had no Savoy, so Napa it was. (It was fine.)

I also had a tough time getting my homemade wrappers thin enough. Next time, at The Husband’s suggestion, I’m going to try running it through the pasta machine like a lasagna noodle.

Potsticker Filling

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Serves	30
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	50 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish, Side Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Serve Hot

Two options for homemade potsticker stuffing: vegetarian or pork. It tastes enough like the real thing to pass inspection by The Husband and The Assistant.

Ingredients

• .5lb ground pork ((optional))
• 4 cups napa cabbage (shredded)
• 4 shiitake mushrooms (cleaned, trimmed and chopped)
• 1 " fresh ginger (grated)
• 4 scallions (thinly sliced)
• sesame oil (to taste)
• grapeseed oil
• soy sauce (for dipping)

Directions

Step 1

If using pork, brown the meat in a large skillet, preferably one with a lid. Push pork to one side of the pan.

Step 2

Add a splash of sesame and grapeseed oil. Cook mushrooms, ginger and scallions until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 3-4 minutes.

Step 3

Add cabbage and 2 Tablespoons water. Cover and allow the cabbage to steam and soften, about 15 minutes.

Step 4

Remove the lid, stir to mix, and remove from heat. Use small spoonfuls to stuff your potstickers.

Potsticker Dough

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Serves	30
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	35 minutes
Allergy	Wheat
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Serve Hot

You can cheat and make your potstickers with store-bought wonton wrappers, but these give more of the authentic chewy/crispy texture that you want from a potsticker.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• .5 cup cold water
• .25 teaspoon salt

Directions

Step 1

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mixing with a spoon or spatula until the dough starts to come together. You will likely need more water; add it one tablespoon at a time.

Step 2

Once you achieve a dough-like consistency, knead the dough on a floured surface until it stops sticking to your hands.

Step 3

Divide the dough into two balls, and roll each ball into a snake shape.

Step 4

Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Flatten into a circle. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll the small, thick circle into a large, thin irregularly circular shape. Make the dough as thin as possible without it falling apart.

Step 5

Scoop some filling into the middle of the circle. Wet the edges of the circle with water, and press corners together to seal. Set aside and repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Step 6

Add a minimum of 1/4 cup high-temperature oil -- peanut, canola, grapeseed -- to a large frying pan over medium-high heat. You want a distinct layer of oil.

Step 7

Add the potstickers in batches, flipping over when they start to get golden brown on the bottom. Remember: your filling is fully cooked, so you don't need to cook them through.

Step 8

Drain on a paper towel and serve immediately.

Results

The Assistant requested that I make these twice in one week: once with the wonton wrappers and once with the homemade dough. The latter is better, but not as pretty. “I like the pork ones better, but I actually didn’t notice that the first ones didn’t have meat,” he admitted.

“I’d take the leftovers to work, if we had any,” said The Husband, looking forlornly at the last, half-eaten potsticker on The Assistant’s plate. Next time.

Even as a newbie, you can crank them out on a weeknight, as long as you’ve planned ahead. I pre-chopped all of my veggies earlier in the day.

Tags: asian, dinner, hong kong, kid-friendly, main dish, Recipe, stovetop

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