Chinese Potstickers

Variations of these little dumplings are popular throughout China. They symbolize abundance and wealth for the coming year, as they are made in large amounts and, when fried golden, represent coins. In northern China they are served in the hours between the old and new year. These may take some time to prepare, but gather a few friends to help assemble the potstickers. Cook two dozen for your party, and freeze the extras for future snacks or meals. Simply pop the extra, uncooked dumplings in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 3 dumplings and about 1 tablespoon sauce)

Ingredients

• Dumplings:
• 3  cups  chopped napa (Chinese) cabbage (about 4 ounces)
• 4  dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 1/4  cup  finely chopped green onions
• 2  tablespoons  plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  oyster sauce
• 1/8  teaspoon  white pepper
• 5  ounces  lean ground pork
• 5  ounces  ground chicken breast
• 1  large egg white
• 48  gyoza skins
• 1/4  cup  canola oil, divided
• 1 1/3  cups  water, divided
• 
  Sauce:
• 3  tablespoons  finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 2  tablespoons  minced green onions
• 3  tablespoons  dark soy sauce
• 6  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 3  tablespoons  Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  Shaoxing (Chinese cooking wine) or dry sherry
• 2  teaspoons  chile puree with garlic sauce
• 2  teaspoons  dark sesame oil

Preparation

1. To prepare dumplings, cook cabbage in boiling water 1 minute or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Cool; chop.

2. Place mushrooms in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Cover and let stand 30 minutes or until tender. Drain mushrooms; chop.

3. Combine cabbage, mushrooms, 1/4 cup green onions, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and next 7 ingredients (through egg white) in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.

4. Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining gyoza skins to prevent drying), spoon 2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of each skin. Moisten edges of gyoza skin with water. Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal. Place dumpling, seam side up, on a baking sheet sprinkled with remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch (cover loosely with a towel to prevent drying). Repeat procedure with remaining gyoza skins and filling.

5. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 dumplings to pan; cook 3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until water evaporates. Repeat procedure with remaining canola oil, dumplings, and water.

6. To prepare the sauce, combine 3 tablespoons chopped ginger and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Serve sauce with dumplings.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

132 (0.0% from fat)

Fat:

5.1g (sat 0.7g,mono 2.3g,poly 1.3g)

Protein:

6.5g

Carbohydrate:

14.7g

Fiber:

1g

Cholesterol:

15mg

Iron:

0.8mg

Sodium:

511mg

Calcium:

23mg