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Cooking store-bought dim sum dumplings at home can be a pain. Fry them and they turn to greasy rubber, boil them and they disintegrate. Here’s a method I appropriated from TV chef Ming Tsai for creating perfect pot stickers.
In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, fry 8 or so uncooked gow — the Dumpling House’s pork-with-fennel version, say — in a teaspoon of peanut oil for five minutes or until the undersides are golden brown. It’s important that the dumplings not be turned over ever or moved around in the pan. Once they’re nicely crisped on the bottom, add a splash of water (2 tablespoons, tops), a tablespoon of black rice vinegar, a minced clove of garlic and few coriander leaves. Without reducing the heat or disturbing the dumplings, cover the skillet immediately and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates. The dumplings will now be crisp on the bottom, steamed on the top, the filling thick with soupy jus — ready to serve with lo mein noodles and steamed Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce. To give the dumplings a more Mediterranean feel, repeat the cooking procedure, substituting olive oil for peanut oil, balsamic vinegar for Chinese and fresh basil for coriander. Serve with rapini, crusty bread and a salad.
