Adventures in dumpling creation... Cheesy Jalapeño Shrimp Potstickers

The second Daring Cooks' challenge is hosted by Jen of use real butter and it is Chinese dumplings which can be steamed, boiled or fried (called potstickers).



I was very excited about this challenge but time seemed to just fly by and here we are on reveal day and I only just finished the challenge today. I love being part of the Daring Kitchen and trying out new recipes each month. It is neat to make things I might not otherwise get around to making.

We were required to make the dough for the dumplings and after that we were free to fill them however we wanted. I made a sort of east meets west cheesey jalapeño and shrimp potsticker. They turned out well and I had a lot of fun making them. So here is the recipe:

dough:
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface

Make the dough, Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in post for how to fold pleats). Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.



While the dough is resting, you can make the filling:

12 raw shrimp with tales and veins removed
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated (I did this by feel, but I am guessing it was about this much)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chives straight from the garden, rinced and chopped
1/4 cup jalapeños (I used canned ones)

To make filling: place shrimp and jalopenos in food processor with metal blade. Pulse until small bits. Add chopped chives and Worcestershire. Change to grating plate, add cheddar. Change back to blade again and pulse until cheese matches in size.



To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.





If you want to check out some other filling options and different cooking methods, check out the daring kitchen site for that.

It was a great challenge and I'm glad I tried it!!