Potsticker dumplings with dipping sauce

Surprisingly easy to make, these Chinese-style potsticker dumplings have a tasty chicken filling; served with a tangy dipping sauce, they’re irresistibly moreish.

To make the dough, put the flour and salt into a large bowl and gradually incorporate the hot water, mixing all the time with a fork or chopsticks until all the water is absorbed. Tip the dough onto a work surface, bring together with your hands and aggressively knead it for 5 minutes, dusting with flour if it gets too sticky. The dough is ready when it is smooth and plump.

Ingredients
For the dough

150g/5½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch fine salt
100ml/3½fl oz boiling water
1 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
For the filling
100g/3½oz chicken mince
½ tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1½ tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp cornflour
50g/1¾oz pak choi, finely chopped
1 spring onion, finely chopped
15mm/⅝in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
For the dipping sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 spring onion, greens only, finely sliced
Method
To make the dough, put the flour and salt into a large bowl and gradually incorporate the hot water, mixing all the time with a fork or chopsticks until all the water is absorbed. Tip the dough onto a work surface, bring together with your hands and aggressively knead it for 5 minutes, dusting with flour if it gets too sticky. The dough is ready when it is smooth and plump.

Roll the dough into a long sausage shape and, using a dough scraper, divide into 12 roughly equal pieces. Roll into balls, place on a tray, cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave to rest while you make the filling.

For the filling, mix the chicken mince with the rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornflour and 1 teaspoon of cold water. Add the pak choi, spring onion and ginger and mix through. Set aside.

Roll each dough ball into a thin disc, around 10cm/4in in diameter. As you roll them out, keep the discs covered with a tea towel to prevent drying out.

Place about a teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each dough circle and lightly moisten the edges with water. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch together to seal, pinching pleats around the edge of the dumpling. Repeat to make 12 dumplings.

Heat a large, lidded non-stick frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the vegetable oil, place the dumplings flat-side down into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, until the bottoms of the dumplings are lightly browned and crisping.

Carefully add 50ml/2fl oz water and immediately cover the pan; steam for about 5 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Check halfway through and add more water if necessary. Remove the lid and let the dumplings cook for a further minute, until they release from the bottom of the pan.

While the dumplings cook, make the dipping sauce. Put the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and ½ tablespoon of water in a small bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add the spring onions and stir.

Remove the dumplings from the pan and serve with the dipping sauce on the side.

Source: BBC