Santa Barbara Pot Stickers

You can either make your own using the recipe below, or purchase Wiechuan or Shirakiku brand frozen dumplings.

Pot Stickers:
1 bunch watercress
4 dried black mushrooms
½ lb raw shrimp, shelled, de-veined and very finely minced.
½ lb ground chicken, turkey or veal
6 water chestnuts, finely minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tbs light soy sauce
2 tsp dry sherry
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
pinch of sugar
½ tsp salt

1 egg white
3 tbs peanut oil
30 round won ton skins

Sauce:
½ cup chicken stock
1 tbs oyster sauce
½ tsp chili paste with Garlic (hot, be careful)
2 tbs dry sherry
2 tsp finely minced orange or tangerine skin
¼ tsp sugar
1 tsp hoisin sauce

Garnish:
toasted sesame seeds
minced cilantro
minced green onion

Drop watercress into rapidly boiling water. Blanch 10 seconds. Dump into colander, rinse under cold water. Press out all water with your hands and mince finely. Soak black mushrooms in warm water for 1/2 hour. When mushroom soften, discard stems and mince finely. Combine and mix all filling ingredients thoroughly.

Combine sauce and set aside.

Place 1 tbs filling in the center of won ton. Moisten edges with egg white. Fold skin over filling. Press edges together, with a crimping pattern. Place on wax paper dusted with corn starch. Refrigerate or freeze (up to six months) until ready to use.

Heat oil in a 12 inch pan. Add dumplings. When dumplings are brown on bottom, add water, cover and steam until dumpling begin to turn translucent. Add sauce, cover and continue cooking 2 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking, gently stirring dumplings, until sauce glazes dumplings. Place on platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, cilantro, and green onions. Serve.