Chinese Chicken Dumpling
Chinese chicken dumpling, AKA the potsticker. A flavorful filling of chicken and cilantro stems that lends a robust flavor, along with the traditional ginger and soy sauce. Not only is the filling delicious the dough is just a perfect texture and chew you’ll only find in homemade dough. Don’t be intimidated by the dough, it is not difficult to make, just takes a bit of muscle to knead.
I will use the metric system for the chicken and dry ingredients for more accurate measurements. If you don’t have a scale, there are metric conversions online that are helpful.
Chinese Chicken Dumpling
Equipment
- Non stick fry pan with lid
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Gound chicken
- 80 grams cilantro stems, minced with some greens
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic ginger paste
- 1 egg white whisk
- 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 400 grams Bread flour 12.7% protein (just over 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 240 grams room temperature water approximately 1 cup
Instructions
- Wraper: Measure the flour and salt together and slowly pour in the water. Using chopsticks to stir it while you are adding the water. Gathering all the flour together and make it into a dough. Knead the dough on the counter for about 5-6 minutes or until smooth. Cover it and let sit for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, knead it again for another 5 minutes. Cover it with a slightly damp towel and let it sit for 1 hour. The reason we knead it twice is to help develop the protein that will make sure the dumpling wrapper has a great texture.
- Ginger Garlic Paste: 1" ginger grated with 4 garlic cloves minced finely
- Filling: Add the Ground chicken, cilantro stems, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic ginger paste, 1 beaten egg white, five spice, white pepper, salt, and finely chopped green onions. When mixing the ingredients make sure you stir in one direction ensuring the mixture is combined evenly.
- Dust a work surface with flour. Divide the dumpling dough into 3 equal pieces. Work with 1 piece at a time and keep the others covered with the damp cloth. Using your palms, roll into a log 12 inches long. Cut crosswise into 12 equal pieces. Using a small rolling pin, roll out each piece into a 3 inch round. Keep the work surface well dusted with flour as you work.
- Place 1 round on the palm of one hand, place 1 tablespoon of the filling on the center, and fold the round into a half-moon, press to seal the center only. Pleat the edges in and press on edge and then pleat the other to shape into a half moon. Cover the dumplings with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out, then repeat with the remaining two pieces of dough in two batches to make a total of 36 dumplings.
- In a cast-iron frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Place 10 to 18 dumplings in the pan. Turn the heat to medium and allow the dumplings to cook for 3 minutes. Pour 1/4 cup of the water into the pan and then cover. Allow the dumplings to cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the water evaporates. Remove the lid and reduce the heat to low and allow the dumplings to cook for about 2 minutes, or until they are golden brown on the bottom and the skins are translucent on top. To ensure the dumplings cook evenly, move the pan back and forth on the burner to distribute the heat evenly and prevent sticking.