Stuck With Stickers

As of today, Oregon is on full quarantine, with all nonessential businesses closed.  We are all strongly urged to stay home, and for me, that means I’m stuck at home with my family.  Though this is obviously a tough situation, it did open up an opportunity for one of my favorite family activities – Potsticker Night!

Everyone in the family pitches in to make a massive batch of potstickers from scratch.  This time around, we opted for a pork and shrimp potsticker extravaganza.

We had two recipes that we were loosely consulting (Lucky Peach and Cook’s Illustrated), but for the most part, this was freestyle.

First off, I threw a clove of garlic and a healthy portion of ginger into the Cuisinart.  You want textural variety in your potstickers, but no one wants huge chunks of garlic and ginger.  If you’ve ever bitten into a clove of garlic hidden in your pasta, you’re probably fervently nodding your head in agreement right now.

Next, I added two cans of water chestnuts.  Water chestnuts are super underappreciated as an ingredient.  They provide an incredible crunch and a slightly nutty flavor.  A similar crunch to jicama, and an absolute must in potstickers.

Next, I chopped some scallions while Doug diced a few chives.  These additions are why I opted for only one clove of garlic – I’m not trying to kill anyone.

Whatever you do, do not put these into the Cuisinart.  They’re cut into small enough pieces where you can just throw them into the filling.

As for the shrimp, give it a few light pulses in the Cuisinart.  You still want that firm texture, but in smaller pieces.

Now we get to the fun part.  Dump your Cuisinart mixture into a big bowl with the ground pork and get in there with your hands!

Yeah, it’s gross, but this is the best method for mixing.  You could wear gloves, but you run the risk of getting weird chemical-y glove taste in your food.  This apparently isn’t an issue for a certain grandma of mine who once wore plastic gloves while eating chicken wings, but I’m personally not a fan.  I’m not trying to infuse my food with weird doctor’s office smell.

Doug coming through with egg, soy sauce, and sesame oil

After one last good stir, you’re ready to assemble.  I took a breather while Maya and Jo expertly folded approximately a zillion potstickers.

I want to note real quick that we are cooking these in a hand-me-down electric frying pan from the 80s that’s reserved for frying greasy foods outside.  It was handed down to us by the aforementioned grandma who wore gloves while she ate chicken wings (she knows who she is).  We bust it out very rarely, but whenever we make potstickers or latkes, it rises to the occasion.

Doug has a very specific cooking process for the potstickers.  First, he fries them in oil.  Then, he pours in water and puts the lid on to steam them.

Lastly, he takes the lid off and fries them a second time as the water evaporates.

The result?  Potstickers that are crispy on one side and perfectly cooked through.

They’re tremendous, and if you’re stuck at home I highly recommend making them yourself.  The crunch of the water chestnut and the flavor from the ginger electrify these potstickers and elevate them to another level.  This is S-Tier Quarantine Cookin’.