Pork potsticker dumplings

Now this is not such an easy thing to make but it is well worth taking the time if you like Chinese dumplings.

You will need  

275g/10oz plain flour

250ml/8floz very hot water

110g/4oz minced pork

75g/3oz Chinese leaves or spinach

1tsp ginger puree

½tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

½tbsp dark soy sauce

½tsp light soy sauce

½tsp salt

A good pinch of white pepper

2 spring onions

1tsp sesame oil

½tsp sugar

1tbsp cold chicken stock or water

1tbsp groundnut oil

75ml/3floz water

3tbsp dark soy sauce

1tbsp white rice vinegar

3tsp sweet chilli sauce

First you have to make you dough; now this dose take a little work, manly as there is not a lot to it. Take the flour and palace it into a large bowl then slowly add the hot water stirring it in and keep working it until all the water is incorporated in the mix. Now if it is to dry add a little more water. Now turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead it for about 8 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth. Then put the dough bake in to the bowl cover with a damp cloth and let it just rest for about 20 minutes.

Now you need to make the stuffing , take the Chinese leaves or spinach and spring onions and chop them nice and fine then add them to a bowl with the minced pork, ginger puree, rice wine or dry sherry, dark soy, light soy sauce, salt, white pepper, sesame oil, sugar and chicken stock. Then combine them to make a stuffing.

Once you have rested the dough take it out and knead it once more for about five minutes then cut and roll in to about 18 equal pieces. Then form them into balls and roll them out into 6cm/2½in round pancakes. Now set them out on a flour tray and cover them in with a damp cloth if you are not going to use them straight away.  When you are ready to make them take about two teaspoon of the stuffing and place in the centre. Then wet the edges and bring them up as if you were making a sort of mini pasty. Pinch the top closed with your finger and make sure that you have a good seal. Once you have made them cover them while you make the other so the dough does not dry out.

Finally to cook them take a large heavy frying pan that has a tight fitting lid, and heat it on a high heat and add the ground nut oil to it. Then turn it down and gently brown the dumplings for about two minutes. Then very carefully add the water and then cover with the lid. It takes about 12 minutes for it to cook on a gentle simmer until most of the water has been absorbed by the dumplings. Then take the lid of and cook for about another 2 to 3 minutes. Check about half way through when cooking you do not want to let it boil dry and the water can evaporate quit quickly in a hot pan.

Now all you have to do is take them out of the pan and serve them with the dipping sauce made from 3tbsp dark soy sauce, 1tbsp white rice vinegar and 3tsp sweet chilli sauce all mixed together.