Pot stickers are one of my family’s favorite appetizers. In fact, my cousins even eat them as the main course. My problem with ordering them from a restaurant is that they never have a vegetarian option, so I prefer to make them at home, where I can sauté chopped cabbage to substitute for the pork.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 25 pot stickers
Ingredients
Pot Stickers
Sauce
Preparation
Step 1
To prepare the pot stickers: Smash the garlic clove by placing it on a cutting board, laying the blade of a large knife flat on top of the garlic, and pressing the knife with the heel of your hand. Remove the papery skin and finely chop the garlic.
Step 2
Cut off the root ends of the green onions and thinly slice the white and about 1 inch of the green parts. Set aside 1 tablespoon for the sauce and place the remaining onion in a medium bowl.
Step 3
Add the garlic, cilantro, egg yolk, salt, and ground pork to the bowl and mix well. (I know it sounds gross, but your hands are the best utensil to get this mixed well. Of course, make sure they are clean and be sure to wash them after you’ve mixed the filling and before you touch anything else.)
Step 4
Dip your finger in water and wet the entire edge of 1 wonton wrapper. Place a small spoonful of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper and fold the wrapper in half to enclose the mixture. Firmly press the edges to seal the pot sticker. Just before you seal the pot sticker completely, push gently around the filling to remove any air pockets. Repeat the process with the remaining wrappers and filling. Lay the finished pot stickers on a baking sheet, keeping them separate. (If the pot stickers touch they will stick together and tear holes in the wrappers.)
Step 5
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully drop a few of the pot stickers at a time into the water and cook for 2 minutes, or until they float to the top of the pan. Remove the pot stickers with a slotted spoon and place them on the baking sheet.
Step 6
Heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place one-third of the pot stickers in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Place the browned pot stickers on a serving plate and repeat the process with the remaining pot stickers.
Step 7
To prepare the sauce: Place the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl and mix well with a fork. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of reserved green onions on the sauce and place the sauce on the pot sticker plate.
Kitchen Disaster
Step 8
When my aunt was first learning to cook, she decided to try to make veal scaloppine. She added the two cloves of garlic that the recipe called for and soon the smell of garlic was permeating the entire house. What she didn’t know was that when you buy garlic it comes in bulbs. The smaller pieces that make up the bulb are called “cloves.” So instead of two cloves she used two bulbs. Needless to say, it was not her best dinner.
