Reprinted with Permission from AN: to EAT 2016 by HELENE an and JACQUELINE AN, Running

Reprinted with permission from AN: TO EAT © 2016 by HELENE AN and JACQUELINE AN, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group

Balsamic Chicken Pot Stickers

Makes 48 potstickers

FOR THE POT STICKERS:
½ cup (about 1½ ounces) dried wood ear mushrooms
½ cup (about 1½ ounces) dried shiitake mushrooms
2 cups chopped white onion
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound ground dark meat chicken
¾ cup finely chopped carrot (about 5 ounces or 1½ carrots)
1 (12-ounce) package dumpling skins or wrappers
Canola oil, for frying
Unsalted butter

FOR THE BALSAMIC REDUCTION:

1 cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar

1) Soak the mushrooms in warm water, until they soften and expand, about 1 hour. Drain the mushrooms and set aside.

2) Put a medium pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened and fragrant.

3) To make the pot sticker filling: In a large bowl, mix together the oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and salt. Add the sautéed onions and ground chicken and mix well. Fill a larger bowl with ice and set the bowl with the filling inside. Cover the bowls and refrigerate for 1 hour.

4) In a food processor or blender, rind the reconstituted mushrooms with the carrots. Stir this mixture into the chilled stuffing.

5) To make the dumplings: Fill a small bowl with cool water. Place a dumpling skin in front of you on a hard surface or cutting board. Place 1 full teaspoon of chicken filling in the middle of the dumpling skin. Moisten the edges of the dumpling skin with water. Fold one edge of the skin over to cover the filling, overlapping the other edge. Press the skin firmly around the filling to eliminate any air bubbles and press around the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining dumpling skins and filling.

6) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In batches, add the dumplings and cook until they float to the top of the pot, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cooked dumplings to a plate.

7) To make the balsamic reduction: Pour the vinegar into a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar until it is dissolved. Continue cooking until the amount of liquid in the pan is reduced by half. Set aside.

8) Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200ºF. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels.

9) To fry the pot stickers: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add 6 cooked dumplings (or whatever will comfortably fit in your pan without overcrowding) and sauté them until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté for another minute. As they finish cooking, transfer the pot stickers to the prepared baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven. Repeat until all of the dumplings are fried.

10) Serve them warm, drizzled with the balsamic reduction.

NOTE: This recipe makes a large batch, which as busy mom I appreciate because it means I can freeze the extras to have quick meal on hand for the future. To freeze, put uncooked d dumplings on a baking sheet, making sure none stick together, and sprinkle them with flour. Freeze them until they’re solid, then transfer them to freezer bags. To reheat the pot stickers, bring large pot of water to a boil, add the frozen pot stickers, and boil for about 15 minutes or until they rise to the surface.

Drin. At this point, you cn either et them s dumplings or fry them into pot

stickers.