Potstickers!!

Someone on the Post Punk Kitchen forums recently was talking about making potstickers, and I just couldn't get the idea out of my head. They are a little labor intensive so it's not something I make all that often, but the payoff is definitely there. I didn't make a crazy complicated filling this time around since it's HOT AS ALL GET OUT here on the East Coast (I guess the summer is trying to make up for July's constant rain and cold?) and I didn't want to stand in the kitchen forever either folding them, or frying them, so these are pretty basic. They are also delicious! You could certainly add in any other veggie you like as long as it's finely grated or diced small. I use my microplane when I grate the carrot so that I don't have to cook it ahead of time. It makes nice mounds of fluffy carrot shavings! The celery I just dice up into mini cubes and they stay crunchy after they're cooked, but in a nice and refreshing way. This recipe yields about 30-40 potstickers depending on the size of your dumpling wrapper and how much filling you jammed into them.

I'm going to make cold sesame noodles their own entry, because this bit is rather picture intensive!



Seitan & Veggie Potstickers
4 oz mild flavored seitan
6 shiitake mushroom caps
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 rib of celery, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, pressed or grated
1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 tbsp soy sauce
Dumpling wrappers (check your local Asian market for the egg free variety!)
Canola oil
Water

Dipping Sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

1. Sautee the mushrooms briefy in a little oil until just cooked.

2. In a food processor, grind together the seitan (it helps if you dice it small) and the mushrooms.

3. Transfer the mushroom and seitan mixture to a bowl and fold in the rest of the veggies, the garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.

4. Fill your dumpling wrappers! Brush half of the dumpling wrapper lightly with water. Place about 1 heaping tsp of filling in the center of the wrapper


Fold the edges up to meet each other in the middle and press to make them stick (keep in mind you're not making a ravioli here! You want them to stand up in the pan)


You could call it a day there, or crimp the edges by folding them back on each other a few times along the edge.

To Cook -- Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Get the pan nice and hot, then add the potstickers one at a time, bottom down, so they're all standing up around the pan


Let them cook that way for about 2 minutes or until the bottoms are brown and (wait for it) STUCK to the POT! (well pan... why aren't they called pan stickers?) Once they're all browned and adhered, add about 1/4 cup of water and put a lid on the pan and let them steam for about another 3 minutes or until the water is mostly cooked away. You still want the pan on high for this!! When you turn off the heat and open the pan, they should pop right out again, and have a lovely browned bottom and a nicely steamed top!


For the dipping sauce, just stir all the ingredients together. You probably figured that out on your own though didn't you? :)