Pork Potstickers with Lacy Crisp Bottoms

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Juicy ginger-scallion pork dumplings made with store-bought wrappers and cooked the right way: fry, steam, then fry again in one nonstick skillet. A splash of flour-water in the pan sets into a golden lace skirt that shatters when you bite in. Served with a garlicky chili soy dipping sauce, this is a 6-count appetizer scaled up to a full batch you can freeze.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork (not extra-lean)
• 2 cups finely chopped napa cabbage
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (for the cabbage)
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 3 tbsp cold water or unsalted chicken broth

• 36 round dumpling wrappers (about 1 package), thawed if frozen
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water, plus more for sealing

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce or chili crisp
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Toss the chopped napa cabbage with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl and let it sit 10 minutes. Gather it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze hard over the sink until it stops dripping — you want about 3/4 cup of packed, dry cabbage. Wet cabbage is the number one cause of blown-out dumplings.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork, squeezed cabbage, scallions, ginger, garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and white pepper. Stir vigorously with a spatula or chopsticks in one direction for about 1 minute, then add the 3 tablespoons cold water a splash at a time, stirring until the mixture looks slightly sticky and paste-like. Chill 15 minutes while you set up.
3. Whisk together all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Set up a station: wrappers under a barely damp towel, a small bowl of water, the filling, and a parchment-lined sheet pan dusted lightly with cornstarch or flour. Place a wrapper in your palm, add a scant 1 tablespoon of filling in the center, and dip a finger in water to moisten the outer half-inch of the edge.
5. Fold the wrapper into a half-moon and pinch the center closed. Working from the center outward on one side, make 3 small pleats in the front layer only, pressing each into the flat back edge to seal. Repeat on the other side. Press the whole seam firmly, then set the dumpling on the sheet pan and press the bottom gently so it stands flat. Repeat with the remaining wrappers; keep finished dumplings covered.
6. Stir the 1 teaspoon flour into the 1/2 cup water and set this slurry by the stove — this is what creates the lace skirt.
7. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons neutral oil in a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Arrange half the dumplings flat-side down in a snug single layer, spiral or rows, without touching. Fry undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes until the bottoms are pale gold.
8. Stir the slurry again and pour about half of it (roughly 1/4 cup) into the pan — it will hiss aggressively. Immediately cover with a lid and steam over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes, until the water is nearly gone and the wrappers are translucent and puffed.
9. Uncover, raise the heat to medium-high, and let the remaining liquid cook off, 2 to 4 minutes. The flour left behind will set into a thin golden web. Once you hear a steady dry sizzle and see deep golden-brown bottoms, tilt and shake the pan to loosen, then slide a thin spatula under the connected sheet and invert the whole thing onto a plate, crisp side up.
10. Wipe out the pan, add the remaining oil, and repeat with the second batch. Serve immediately with the chili dipping sauce, scattering any extra scallion and sesame seeds over the top.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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