Asian dumplings

We ate at Ruby Tuesday last week and I got their Asian dumplings with peanut sauce. They were amazing! I then thought it would be a great idea to make some of my own at home. I'm on vacation this week so it was the perfect time to try something new. Oh.my.gosh. These were such a pain to make! Some people make them with wonton wrappers, which I will probably try next time (if there is one), but I made my own dumpling dough that the recipe called for. First of all, I had to add a lot more flour to the dough to make it less sticky so I could actually work with it. Secondly, I had to make the pieces a lot bigger than what the recipe said, otherwise the dough would get too thin. So, instead of the 48 dumplings I was supposed to get out of this mixture, I only got 31. I was okay with that. I was so ready to be done making them! I did fry up a few this afternoon just to make sure they came out okay. The pan got so hot that my stove thought it was on fire and started beeping at me. Wonderful. They tasted great, although I am excited to make them with peanut sauce. I made the sauce the recipe called for (a mixture of soy sauce and sesame oil) and didn't like it with these dumplings. I ended up using sweet and sour sauce instead. However, I think the peanut sauce will be fabulous with these. I froze the rest of the dumplings to have at a later time! If you want to freeze them, just place them on a baking sheet until frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag.

Chinese Dumplings - Potstickers
Source: chinesefood.about.com


Ingredients:

• Dumpling Dough*
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• Filling:
• 8 ounces celery cabbage (Napa cabbage)
• 3 tsp salt, divided
• 1 pound lean ground pork
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, with tops
• 1 TB white wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Dash white pepper
• Dipping Sauce:
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Other:
• 2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Cut the cabbage across into thin strips. Mix with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, mix the celery cabbage, pork, green onions, wine, cornstarch, the remaining 1 teaaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and the white pepper.

In a bowl, mix the flour and 1 cup boiling water until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly flour surface about 5 minutes, or until smooth.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a roll 12 inches long and cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices.

Roll 1 slice of dough into a 3-inch circle and place 1 tablespoon pork mixture in the center of the circle. Lift up the edges of the circle and pinch 5 pleats up to create a pouch to encase the mixture. Pinch the top together. Repeat with the remaining slices of dough and filling.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. If using a nonstick skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

To make a dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Serve with the dumplings.

Reprinted with permission from Everyday Chinese Cooking: Quick and Delicious Recipes from the Leann Chin Restaurants.Pin It