Chicken Potstickers

(about 60 potstickers)

I have to admit I'm pretty inept when it comes to forming potstickers. I can't seem to get the folds right and trying to put them together correctly takes me way too long. I usually give up after a few tries and end up folding them into simple half moon shapes similar to pierogies. It's much faster that way and they still taste the same, so ultimately it doesn't matter. I'm still in awe of my dim sum teacher in Toronto, who could fold dumplings into various shapes in mere seconds while holding a conversation with you and maintaining eye contact!

These delicious dumplings freeze really well, so if you are inclined, double this recipe to enjoy more of them at a later date.

potstickers
4-5 dried shitaki mushroom caps
1 cup hot water
1 lb napa cabbage
3/4 lb ground chicken
2 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2-3 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
60 potsticker wrappers
sesame oil for frying
water

Soak the mushrooms in hot water for about 15-20 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile shred the cabbage into a microwave-proof bowl. Cover with wrap and microwave at one minute intervals until the cabbage has softened. Remove and cool.

Remove the mushrooms from the water and gently squeeze. Discard any hard stems and slice the caps into thin strips. Place them into a large mixing bowl.

Gently squeeze the cooled cabbage to release some of its excess moisture. You do not need to squeeze it completely dry. Add the cabbage, chicken, green onions, cilantro, ginger, tamari, sesame oil, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes to the mushrooms.

Mix thoroughly until everything is well combined. The filling will be on the wet side. At this point you can fry a small amount to adjust the seasoning, if you like.

To form the potstickers, place a generous teaspoonful into the center of each wrapper; make sure to leave the edges clear otherwise the dumplings will be difficult to seal. Lightly moisten the edges with water and then fold them together in half, pressing the edges together firmly. If you wish to pleat them, then have a look here. Smooth half moon shapes are fine if you find the pleating process as difficult as I do.

To freeze your finished potstickers, place them onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer and not touching each other. Place the sheet into your freezer for about one hour, then remove and place the frozen potstickers into freezer bags for further freezing.

To cook the potstickers, heat a small amount of sesame oil in a heavy non-stick skillet with a tight fitting lid over a medium-high flame.

Place the potstickers into the skillet in a single layer, then add about 3-4 tbsp of water. Cover the skillet and reduce the flame to about medium or a touch lower. Steam the dumplings for about  5-7 minutes if they are fresh; 8-11 minutes if they are frozen (do not thaw them out first). Adjust the flame as needed to keep the bottoms from burning; the bottoms should just be nicely browned and slightly crispy.

If there's still a bit of water in the skillet when you remove the lid, then just cook another minute or two until the liquid has evaporated.

Serve with the dipping sauce, (see below).

potsticker dipping sauce
1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin or rice wine
3-4 tbsp rice vinegar
1 green onion, sliced
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp chili paste, or to taste

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Serve with the potstickers.

Asian Style Scallop and Shrimp Dumplings

(about 30-36 dumplings)

These dumplings are similar to Har Gow, although the wrappers differ somewhat. I ran out of wheat starch, so I added more tapioca starch. The resulting wrappers seemed a bit thicker to me as well as "chewier", but in a pleasant way.

I kind of liked the wrappers and noticed they didn't seem quite as delicate when I steamed them; I wasn't afraid they might fall apart if they stayed in the streamer a tad too long. On the other hand, one of the wonderful aspects of starch wrappers is the ability to see through them, and because of their thickness these weren't quite as translucent as they might have been.

*The dumplings do freeze well. Place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze for about 20-30 minutes. Then bag them for further freezing. I usually double or even triple this recipe to have a good supply on hand for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Mango Pudding

(4 servings)

I'm not entirely sure if this is still considered a Chinese dessert if I swap out the evaporated milk for coconut milk. In any case, the coconut milk compliments the mango very nicely.

1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
5-6 gms agar agar, (this is the easiest measurement because of how it's packaged, bars or powder)
2 small mangoes, peeled, chopped, then pureed
1 1/2 cups coconut milk, (12 oz can)

1 small mango, peeled and cubed or sliced

If you are using the bar form of agar agar, then break it into several pieces and place them into a bowl. Cover them with cold water and allow to soak for about 30 minutes. Remove them and squeeze out the excess water. Tear into smaller pieces.

Heat the water and sugar. Add the agar agar and simmer until the agar agar has dissolved; about 5-9 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the mango puree and the coconut milk.

Pour into  serving bowls and let stand until it sets. Serve with sliced or cubed mango.

Har Gow; Shrimp Dumplings

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(about 42-48 dumplings)

While I was still living in Toronto, I took several evening cooking courses at George Brown College. Among them were two dim sum classes.

I loved those classes, and it wasn't until I left Toronto that I realised just how wonderful they had been. These were "hands on" classes where each student had their own workspace and prepared their own food, very unlike the classes I have come across in Dallas where you basically shell out a small fortune to squeeze between 15-20 individuals to watch someone else cook or prepare something.

Had I known how "special" these classes were at the time, I would have taken a lot more of them.

Har Gow was one of the dishes I learned to make and I still make it rather frequently. It freezes well, so I often double or even triple this recipe.

Filling
1 lb raw shrimp, cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 tbsp glutinous rice wine, or sherry
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tbsp tapioca starch

Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to overnight.

Wrappers
3 cups wheat starch
4 tbsp tapioca starch
2 tbsp lard, or shortening, or olive oil
2 cups boiling water

Serve with
chinese mustard
chili paste

Combine the wheat and tapioca starch in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the water; add the lard, shortening or oil. Mix until a ball forms. Knead until the dough feels smooth; a minute or so.

Keep the dough under a damp cloth and break off small pieces, and roll them into little balls. Place each ball into a tortilla press, and press; this makes perfect circular wrappers. If you don't have a press, then roll each piece out by hand with a rolling pin. The ones I make in the tortilla press do make a slightly thicker wrapper, but that's the trade-off for getting them done faster.

Place a small amount of filling into the centre of each wrapper and fold starting at one side; keep one edge smooth and fold the other edge in as you work your way to the other side. Don't be tempted to overfill these; the smallest amount of filling will prevent the edges from sticking together.

*At this point the har gow can be frozen. I place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer, not touching and freeze  for 10 minutes or so before packing them into freezer bags for further freezing.

Spray the bottom of a steamer lightly with oil or cover with cabbage leaves, and arrange the har gow in one layer with a bit of space between. Steam for about 5-8 minutes. *I add a minute if I'm steaming them directly from the freezer. Be careful not to steam them for too long as the wrappers can disintegrate.

Serve these with chinese mustard and chili paste.

Almond Jelly with Fruit Cocktail

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(6 servings)

This light and refreshing dessert was always one of my favourite dim sum dishes in Toronto. Sadly, I haven't seen it here in Dallas, so I end up making it once in a while.

I imagine it would be very good with fresh fruit, but I get a bit nostalgic for the way it was served at dim sum with the canned fruit. In recent years I have bought the fruit cocktail in the refrigerator section; it seems to be better quality.

This dessert should be made with agar agar, not gelatin as the texture between the two is quite different. I purchase the agar agar in bars. Every few months I drive to a large asian supermarket (Hong Kong Market) in the northeastern part of Dallas to stock up on stuff.

2 3/4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
6 gms agar agar, (this is the easiest measurement because of how it's packaged, bars or powder)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1- 1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

2 1/2 cups fruit cocktail
3/4 cup evaporated milk

If you are using the bar form of agar agar, then break into several pieces and place them into a bowl. Cover with cold water and allow to soak for about 30 minutes. Remove them and squeeze out the excess water. Tear into smaller pieces.

Combine the water, sugar and agar agar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until the agar agar has dissolved; about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the evaporated milk and 1 tsp almond extract. Taste and add another 1/2 tsp almond extract, if needed.

Pour into a 9" square pan. It will be set by the time it's cooled to room temperature.

Cut into cubes and combine with the fruit cocktail. Serve with evaporated milk.