The Aimless Cook

Gong Hei Fat Choy! It’s Chinese New Year 2012 and what better way to celebrate then by making more food! Chinese potstickers, or Jiaozi are symbolic of wealth and prosperity due to their shape (they resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots) and are enjoyed during this festive time. Let’s make some Jiaozi!

Filling:

• 1/2 cup cabbage, finely minced
• 1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
• 1 thumb sized piece ginger, grated 
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Wrappers:

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups flour

In a large mixing bowl, add all the filling ingredients and mix well until combined. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to develop the flavours.

In another mixing bowl, put the water into the flour and begin to mix until you get a rough ball of dough. Since this dough has no eggs, you will having yourself a tough sparring partner for a while. This is normal. If you need to, add more water a few drops at a time until you get the mixture workable. You need to knead the dough on a floured surface for at least 10 minutes until smooth. Then set aside and let rest  for at least 10-15 minutes. 

Next, roll your dough into a long 1 inch thick ‘snake’ and then cut into 1 cm sections. Roll out the sections into flat 3 inch rounds and get ready to assemble. Grab a friend, your spouse, partner, kids or whoever wants to get their hands dirty and let’s make dumplings!

With all your ingredients handy, set up a work area with your bowl of filling, the wrappers and a small bowl of water for each person that’s going to be making the dumplings. You will also need a teaspoon for scooping the filling. 

Start by putting the wrapper on your palm and put a teaspoon full of filling into the center. Next, wet the outer edge of the wrapper with a wet finger. Then, simply fold the wrapper over the filling and seal the edges together until tightly closed. Make sure you squeeze out all the air as you close them. 

That was the basic seal. For a more fancy seal, just wet the edge and fold over the wrapper. This time, working from the left end of the seal to the right, make little pleats along the top edge until you close the dumpling. It takes practice, but you do enough of these and you’ll be a pro by the end of the batch.

To cook these beauties, you can do one of 3 things:

Boil:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add half the batch of dumplings and stir to ensure they’re not stuck together. When the water comes to a boil, add 1/2 cup of cold water. When they come to a boil again (3rd time) they’re done!

The potsticker method:

Also you can put them in a non-stick pan lightly oiled with about a teaspoon of sesame oil. Fry the dumplings on medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add a half cup of water to the pan, cover and steam until the water evaporates. Finally, uncover, gently take them out and serve.

Steam:

Simply place in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes. 

Dumplings are great on their own with a simple dipping sauce like this:

• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Chinese red vinegar
• chili oil, to taste
• brown sugar, to taste

Every time I make dipping sauce, it’s always different. It depends on your preference and what ingredients you have at the time. You can substitute sambal oelek for the chili oil or use fresh chilies. Sometimes, I use mirin or sake as well. It’s up to you and your creativity. Have fun and have a very happy and prosperous year!

When I was in Winnipeg I had some amazing perogies at this local institution, Alycia’s. I’ve had perogies before, but like I have said countless times before, fresh is the ultimate way to go. The good people at Alycia’s hand craft thousands of perogies every day. This dedication is what makes Alycia’s what it is… a local legend. When I got home, Sue was already on the case, calling up her friends and family in search of the ultimate perogy recipe. So, taking a lot of the traditional methods from our ancestors, we have given this recipe a little bit of an organic twist and a flavor update.

In this perogy recipe we used spelt flour, an ancient grain that has a high protein and nutrient content. Instead of regular cheddar or cheez whiz, we used organic feta cheese. I think the taste that we achieved in this recipe was spot on. The texture of the dough is hearty with a nutty flavor. The feta adds an interesting tangy zip that you will enjoy. So if you’re ready to rock, let’s get started!

You will need:

• 2 cups of spelt flour (or all-purpose)
• 3/4 cups water
• 1 egg

Combine these ingredients in a mixing bowl until you have yourself a rough ball of dough, kinda like the pasta recipe. Take the dough out of the bowl and work it on a nice surface until smooth. Next, roll out your dough until it’s 1/8 inch thick. Now let’s look at the filling…

• 5-6 medium potatoes
• 1 cup feta cheese
• salt

Boil the potatoes til tender and mash until smooth. Crumble in the feta cheese and combine with the potatoes. Season with a little salt to taste. That’s the filling. Let’s assemble!

Using a medium sized drinking glass as a template, cut circles into the dough sheet. These will be the wrappers for your perogies. Spoon a little potato filling into the center of each circle, leaving about a centimeter of wrapper around the edge. Whenever making dumplings, it’s easy to overfill. It takes practice, but don’t fret… it doesn’t have to be perfect. We’re not making 3 star restaurant cuisine. We’re making non-pretentious, homemade comfort food.

Fold the wrapper over the filling and crimp the edges shut. If you want to, use a little water to moisten the edges to ensure a good seal. Repeat for the rest of your perogies. You see? The ones you made near the end of the batch look better already! Good job.

Get a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add your perogies and cook until they float on the surface. Once they float, give them a couple minutes before taking them out to serve. Perogies are traditionally served with caramelized onion, bacon and sour cream. I like them with just onion but play around and see what you like. Enjoy, have fun in the kitchen and take care!

J