Where Did Potstickers Come From?
The Chef from the Chinese Imperial Court accidentally burnt a batch of dumplings after leaving them on the stove for too long. The overcooked dumplings were burnt only on the bottom, just like current day potstickers. With no time to prepare a new batch, the chef served the dumplings with the burnt side on top, announcing that they were his own special creation.
Potstickers are like Currys, everyone's family has their own special and often secret recipe. The smallest touches influence the recipe in so many possible ways.
Watch Our How-To Video Below
https://youtu.be/eruyHF7cOnM
There are two main types of potstickers which originate from China and Japan.
- Gyoza Style - Japanese
- Jiaozi Style - Chinese
What is Gyoza Style?
They are often smaller in size than traditional potstickers. Offering a one to two-bite sensation. The wrappers are thinner as well, making for a more tender bite.
If you would like to read more about the Jiaozi style the link is here. Jiaozi
Here's what a package looks like, notice they are circular in shape. Wonton wrappers are square.
When it comes to the dumpling stuffing, the popular proteins are:
- Pork
- Chicken
- Shrimp
Often the pork and shrimp are combined. Mostly pork to a lesser shrimp ratio. The shrimp helps creates a deeper sense of flavor and umami. The first time I mixed pork and shrimp I wasn't sure what to expect. Almost thought about not doing it, but in the end, I did, and I'm glad I did. The flavor is that of a million smiles in your mouth. Honestly, this recipe is one of my top favorite appetizers.
Touching on the tradition of the potsticker
The traditional potsticker needs to be curved
The edges are shaped making a crescent shape like a half-moon
What makes almost any dish better? The answer would have to be a sauce. Sometimes the sauce is even better than the dish.
Our appetizer recipe is certainly one of those dishes. Something amazing in my opinion with this recipe is the number of ingredients in the potstickers and the sauce that are the same, yet taste totally different. This is on the level of food science magic.
Something good to know is you can store them in your refrigerator without issue. You do not need to cover them. If you cover them with plastic wrap they will become moist and will make it hard to get them off the tray. They will burst/break. The cool air in the refrigerator helps set the outer texture.
The Dipping Sauce
The sauce is a mixture of good soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger, green onion, shallot, chili paste, cilantro & lime juice. It is best to let the sauce set up in the refrigerator helping all the flavors get happy together.
Shaping The Asian Potstickers
Forming the potstickers takes one thing.
Patience, but not a lot of patience. Getting started you'll need to make a few potstickers to feel comfortable.
After that, you're full speed ahead.
📖 Recipe
Pot Stickers
Ingredients
Dumpling Filling
- 1 Pound Ground Pork
- 8 large Shrimp
- ½ large Shallot
- 4 Tablespoons Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Garlic Minced
- 4 stalks Green Onion Sliced thin
- 2 Tablespoons Cilantro
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Carrot Minced
- 4 teaspoons Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Fish Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Corn Starch
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
Pot Sticker Dipping Sauce
- 1 ½ cups Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger Grated
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Minced
- 4 stalks Green Onion Thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon Cilantro Chopped
- 1 juiced Lime
- 1 teaspoon Hot Chili Paste Optional
- 2 Stems of Green Onion sliced on the bias 45-degree cut ( Presentation )
Instructions
Making the Filling
- Using a food processor
- I suggest cutting everything up before adding to the food processor. The overall texture will be much better.
- Chop, shallot, garlic, carrot, red bell pepper, cilantro, green onion, sugar, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and shrimp and pulse together. Just enough to bring everything together.
- Next add in the pork, baking soda, and corn starch. Pulse again till combined.
- Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour.
Folding The Potstickers
- I suggest watching the video above
- Start by taking a small enough portion of filling as to not overall fill the potsticker wrapper.
- Cover the outer ring of the wrapper with water, the water acts as the glue.
- On one side make 4 pinches. Start by folding over on top of the same side making a z shape pattern. PInch down the crease.
- After all 4 Z creases are made, pull the front middle over on top to the side with the Z pattern and pinch in the middle. Working your way down one side pinch together matching up the seams, then repeat on the other side and place on a floured cookie sheet.
Cooking the Potstickers
- In a skillet, add 3 tbsps of peanut oil. or whichever oil you like.
- Bring to medium heat then add the potstickers. Cook till the bottoms brown nicely. About 2 minutes. Using a cover, shield yourself and add in enough water to cover by ⅓ of the way up the potstickers. Cook for around 6 to 7 minutes and then serve with dipping sauce.
- Leave a comment below. Enjoy.
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