Chinese dumplings/potstickers – June 2009 Daring Kitchen Challenge

This month’s challenge is a family recipe from Jen of Use Real Butter.  It is one of the things I used to LOVE back in the ol’gluten filled days – potstickers!  I made a dough last year for mu shu wraps that at the time I thought I would try as a potsticker wrap, but, you know how it goes, I got busy and never quite got to it.  So, here we are, a year later, and it took the amazing Daring Cooks to get me to remember and try it.  Thanks guys!  I am so glad I did.  The fillings used were very tasty.  Jen is one lucky girl having grown up on these every weekend!

This does take a bit of time to put together (think roll, fill, fold and pinch – over and over and over and over…), but I think the results are worth it.  I have missed these.  I am putting these up in the freezer for Mommy treats (okay, I’ll share…) and for guests and just to have on hand.  I will put the freezing instructions and some other filling options on the blog Friday for Gluten Free-zer Friday, so stay tuned!

The Challenge: Chinese dumplings/potstickers (aka gyoza in Japanese)

Challenge by Jen of Use Real Butter (family recipe) adapted to gluten free by me

Jen says:  “It’s a basic concept: a filling inside a dough wrapper, sealed, and cooked. This delicious theme runs through many cultures and is among the more popular bites at Chinese restaurants – especially dim sum. The recipe I provide is based on my family recipe. There is a lot of wiggle room and I encourage you to explore. If you’ve made them before – great! Now try something different!”

Gluten Free Potsticker Wrappers (same as the Mu Shu Wraps) by Angela Litzinger

Made a few more than 2 dozen…  You will need to double this to have enough dough for the filling.

1 cup finely ground rice flour

1/4 cup sweet rice flour

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 – 1 cup tapioca flour/starch

Place rice and sweet rice flour in a pan.  While mixing, add water.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until flour is cooked and very, very sticky.  Remove from heat.  Place sticky dough into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 cup tapioca flour to bowl and mix with paddle attachment of your mixer.  Allow dough to cool.  When cool, remix.  If dough is too sticky to handle, sprinkle dough with 2 – 3  tablespoons of tapioca flour at a time and mix (this will depend on the humidity in your area).  When you have a dough you can pull off pieces and not have stick to your hands (think play dough consistency – Yum), it is ready.

Roll slightly smaller than walnut sized pieces of dough, flatten into a disk, place on lightly “floured” (use tapioca flour/starch) plastic wrap, roll out dough with a rolling pin, rotating dough/flipping dough over so that wrap is evenly rolled out, using plastic wrap if needed to help pick up dough.  I made 3 1/2 – 4” rounds.

About this size for the dough…

Look how thin this rolls out even though it is a gluten free!  Woo!

Check Jen’s post on how to fill and shape the dumplings.  I wet the edge of the round with a bit of water to get the edges to stick if the pleating wasn’t sticking, but the dough mostly stuck to itself.  Remember that gluten free dough is a bit fragile, so you be gentle to your dough.  Any rips and tears I had were pretty easy to put back together, however.  I did have to place the dumpling dough with the filling on a tray, then pleat, instead of pleating in my hands as the dough couldn’t take too much rough handling…

Dumplings ready for cooking.

To boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add dumplings to pot. Boil the dumplings until they float.

To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.

To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

My tasty potstickers.

(Sorry about the photo quality.  Iphones are great, but maybe not for food photos…)

Jen’s Family Potsticker Fillings:

pork filling:
1 lb (450g) ground pork (I used ground turkey – do NOT use low fat ground turkey- because that is what I had, but will use pork next time)
4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
3 stalks green onions, minced
7 shitake mushrooms, minced (if dried – rehydrated and rinsed carefully)
1/2 cup (75g) bamboo shoots, minced
1/4 (55g) cup ginger root, minced
3 tbsp (40g) soy sauce (use a gluten free one!)
2 tbsp (28g) sesame oil (I used toasted sesame oil)
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

I also added 2 cloves minced garlic, because I’m crazy like that…

OR

shrimp filling:
1/2 lb (225g) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb (225g) ground pork
3 stalks green onions, minced
1/4 cup (55g) ginger root, minced
1 cup (142g) water chestnuts, minced
1 tsp (5g) salt
3 tbsp (40g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly (I mix by clean hand). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).

dipping sauce:

2 parts soy sauce (use a gluten free one)
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil (again, I like the toasted sesame oil)
chili garlic paste (optional) (use a gluten free one)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)

Thank you,  Jen, for this challenge.  It has inspired me and brought back an old friend to my dinning table!  I will be making, and freezing these with various fillings to enjoy whenever the mood strikes…  Knowing myself, that mood should be very often!

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