Potstickers Recipe

Prepare cabbage

Finely chop the Napa cabbage. Place the chopped cabbage in a bowl, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt, toss and let sit 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid firmly with your hands or a kitchen towel and discard the liquid. This prevents soggy filling.

Mix filling

In a medium bowl combine the ground pork, squeezed cabbage, sliced green onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp salt, white pepper, and cornstarch. Mix thoroughly until ingredients are evenly incorporated and mixture becomes slightly sticky (about 1–2 minutes).

Prepare wrappers

Place one wrapper on a clean surface. Keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.

Fill and seal

Spoon about 1 tablespoon (roughly 15 g) of filling into the center of a wrapper. Dip your fingertip into the water and run a thin line of water around half the edge of the wrapper. Fold wrapper in half over the filling to form a semicircle and press edges to seal, removing air. For a pleated edge, make 3–4 small pleats on one side while pressing to seal. Repeat until you have 6 potstickers.

Pan-fry and steam (potsticker method)

Heat a 10–12 inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and swirl to coat. Arrange the 6 potstickers in the pan flat-side down with a little space between them. Fry for 1.5–2 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.

Carefully pour 60 ml (about 1/4 cup) water into the pan — it will steam and sputter. Immediately cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to medium-low and steam for 5–6 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through (pork should reach 70°C / 160°F).

Remove lid and continue cooking uncovered for 1–2 minutes to re-crisp the bottoms. Transfer potstickers to a plate, bottom-side up, so crisp bottoms stay crisp.

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon chili oil (or a pinch of chili flakes), and 1/4 teaspoon sugar in a small dish. Stir to dissolve sugar and taste-adjust seasoning. Serve alongside potstickers.