Dough
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup boiling water
Mix the flour and boiling water in a bowl until a soft dough forms.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Shape dough into a roll 12 inches long. Cut roll into 1/2 inch slices.
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Filling
1/2 cup chopped Napa cabbage
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1/8 cup finely chopped green onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
dash white pepper
Mix filling in a large bowl. Set it aside for 30 minutes.
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Dumplings
Roll 1 slice of dough into a 3-inch circle.
Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the circle.
Lift up to create a pouch to encase the mixture.
Pinch the top together.
Repeat process with the remaining slices of dough.
Heat a nonstick wok or skillet until very hot.
Add 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry for 2 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup water.
Cover and cook 6-7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the bottoms of the dumplings are lightly brown.
Dipping Sauce
1/8 cup red vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 cup soy sauce
Pour 1/8 cup red vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1/8 cup soy sauce together into small sauce dish.
Serve dumplings with dipping sauce.
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Tradition has always been important through every generation of my family. All of our family recipes are passed down from grandma to mother, from mother to daughter, and so on. My mother could make the best spring rolls known to mankind, using the portions she felt like that day. My grandmother, the cook before my mother, made the best shark fin soup, taking the long seven-day period to perfect it.
My mother's sister, my Aunt Ivy, loves to make a delightful egg tart for dessert. Those handspun tarts crowded the dessert tables whenever my relatives came into town. It was only during these occasions when my sister would take the time to make her famous crab rangoons, spending hours folding that dough into perfect shapes.
The dumplings--called pot stickers--are from an old recipe passed down for three generations. Although other Chinese families know of a recipe, ours is family-specific. I have attempted to learn this art but have never successfully completed the recipe. My mother still remains the expert.
The first time my sister and I tasted these delicacies was during a family reunion back in Hong Kong. All of my aunts and uncles came to my grandmother's house to meet. It was special because my family, being the only family to live in the United States, had come to visit. All the women were chattering in the kitchen, bustling around making their special dishes while the men sat around gambling. The rice cookers were steaming and woks were sizzling on each stove.
As tradition goes, during each family reunion, there is a contest. This particular contest consisted of dumpling making. Every woman took their own measurements and used their own recipes to make dumplings. My grandmother would be the ultimate judge.
For hours, the folding went on. Fingers were dipped in water left and right, meat and vegetables were mixed constantly, and pinching and folding filled the air with excitement. Being the loyal son I am, I tried to assist my mother with the folding. Naturally, mine did not turn out as cleanly as hers.
After the dumplings were made, the women took turns using the stove to fry their different batches. As each batch was fried, their creators took the time to decorate them, as presentation was accounted for in the contest. Different shaped plates were arranged with vegetables and fruits, sliced and cut to create atmosphere. I chose to decorate with orange slices and broccoli heads.
While my mother fried the dumplings she explained the origin of the pot stickers. Old Chinese tales say that the reason why the dumplings are called pot stickers is because that's how the cook can tell when they are done: they start to stick to the pot. She always emphasized how important it was to wait for it to start sticking before taking them off.
Upon completion, I inspected my mother's winning pot stickers. The bottoms are browned lightly, suggesting crispiness in each bite. The centers are so delicate that these cannot be served in halves. Each pot sticker must be eaten as a whole. They are served best with the red vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce mixture.
Pot stickers are a great course for any meal. They are best when just taken off the wok, but can be frozen and later re-fried or toasted. Microwaves tend to ruin the quality.
Due to the amount of work involved, these dumplings are usually made in mass size. As a result, I tend to enjoy these after any big party where my mother feels the need to show off her prize-winning dumplings.
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