Author Notes
This dumpling recipe is for two of my great friends who don’t eat meat but do eat seafood…and they absolutely love dim sum. With all the pork dishes served at dim sum it can be a real challenge not to eat meat. In this version of a dim sum standard, I used scallops because I love their clean sweet flavor, though shrimp could easily be substituted or added. Some vegetables help keep the dumplings light and fresh. Finally, the tofu binds the filling together and absorbs the flavors of the green onions, garlic, and ginger. These are a lot of fun to make with others, so don’t be shy about recruiting helpers, including kids. And don’t worry, even ugly dumplings taste good. - monkeymom —monkeymom
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe comes with a very long list of ingredients. But in the finished product, you can experience the argument for each and every one. The scallops sweeten. The water chestnuts crunch. The peas and greens add color. The onion, garlic and ginger provide the nose. The mushrooms contribute a meaty element. The tofu binds and the sauces pull it all together. These potstickers could pull double duty as both a talked about appetizer for last night’s dinner party and tonight’s light dinner of leftovers as this recipe provided enough filling for over 30 potstickers. - cheese1227 —The Editors
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Ingredients
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1/2 pound
scallops (any kind)
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1 pinch
white pepper
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2 pinches
salt
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4 ounces
regular tofu
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2
green onions, sliced thinly
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1
garlic clove, finely minced
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1
large handful fresh greens (pea sprouts or spinach are great), chopped
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2
slices fresh ginger, very finely minced
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1 teaspoon
oyster sauce
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1 teaspoon
soy sauce
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2
shiitake mushrooms, chopped
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8
water chestnuts (canned is fine), diced
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1
handful frozen peas
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1
package round potsticker wrappers
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4-6 tablespoons
vegetable oil
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1/2 teaspoon
vinegar (I use apple cider or rice wine, but any type is fine)
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1 cup
water
Directions
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Cut scallops into chunks that are about the size of a peanut. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the scallops.
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Drain some liquid from the tofu. This can be done by squishing the tofu through your fingers and putting it into a fine mesh strainer or colander. Put a bowl on top and let the liquid drain off while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
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Saute green onions, ginger, greens and garlic in a skillet over medium heat just until you smell the garlic and greens are wilted. Don’t let garlic brown.
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Put tofu, greens, oyster sauce, soy sauce, mushrooms, and water chestnuts together and stir until tofu has soaked up the sauces. Taste and add salt or soy sauce if necessary.
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Add scallops and peas to tofu and stir to blend all ingredients well.
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To wrap potstickers: Put some water in a small bowl. Place about a tablespoon of filling in the middle of a wrapper. Dip your finger into the water and run it half way around the far edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over to make a half circle shape. Pinch the edges to seal. If your wrappers are tearing, use less filling. To be fancy, you can introduce a two or more folds before or after you pinch the edges and seal with your wet fingers.
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To fry potstickers. Add vinegar to 1 cup water. Heat a nonstick skillet (that has a cover) and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the first batch of potstickers to the pan. Space them so that they aren't touching. Add ¼ cup of the vinegar/water mixture to the pan and cover. Cook for 2-3 minutes...the scallops cook pretty fast so you shouldn't need much more time than this. The potsticker skin will become transclucent during the time with the cover on. If it isn't, add a little more water and cover. If it is, continue to fry until the water is gone and the bottoms are crispy. Remove to serving platter and fry up the next batch in the same way.
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Serve potstickers with soy sauce and hot chili sauce. Try adding a few drops of vinegar and some minced ginger to your soy sauce for a quick dipping sauce.
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Notes: save yourself some aggravation and use a nonstick pan. If you don’t, you’ll need to use more oil and a really good metal spatula/turner to help you get the potstickers off the pot. They ain’t called potstickers for nothing! The filling is also great for wontons and can be cooked in boiling water as well. You can add more assertive vegetables like cilantro or chives if you like.
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