Spicy Chicken Potstickers

4 c. of flour
1 1/4 c. of ice water
1/2 tsp. of salt
yellow food coloring
2 lbs of chicken (boneless white meat, dark meat or a combo), ground
1/2 shallot, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 c. of napa cabbage, chopped
2 in. of fresh ginger, minced or microplaned
4 tbs. of soy
2 tsp. of sesame oil
2 tsp. of sherry
8 oz. of chicken boullion powder
2 tbs. of chili oil
1 tbs. of Sriracha (thai chili paste)
4 tsp. of sugar
1 1/2 c. of water

Start by making the dough for the wrappers.  Add the four cups of flour to a bowl along with the 1/2 tsp. of salt.  Mix about 4 drops of yellow food coloring into the water.  Slowly stream in water, stirring as you go and making sure not to put any actual ice cubes in the mixture.  Add only enough water to get the dough to hold together – if it gets too sticky, add a bit more flour.  Knead dough until silky and elastic (about 5-8 minutes) and then wrap with plastic and let chill in the fridge.

Place your ground chicken in a bowl (or the bowl of your standing mixer).  Add all other ingredients except for the water and stif.  Stir all in one direction until blended and the mixture begins to break down into long, sticky bits.  Slowly add the water in small amounts and continue stirring after each addition (in 30 second intervals).  Your mixture should be wet but not soupy and incredibly smooth.  Spoon a scant 1/2 tsp. of filling out and quickly fry in a pan until cooked all the way through.  Taste your filling for salt and add more if necessary.  Set filling aside.

Break out your dough and pinch a chunk off the size of a clementine.  Run the dough through a pasta roller or roll out by hand to about 1/4 in. thick.  Cut out 3-4 in. circles using a cookie cutter or the mouth of a large cup (I use one of my hubby’s beer steins).  Place a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the wrapper and pleat the edges to close.  Set aside on a floured cookie sheet.  Continue to fill the dumplings until you run out of filling or dough – whichever comes first.

Fill a large pot with water and set to boil.  When the water is ready, plunk in a 8-12 dumplings and watch the water go from a boil to a simmer.  Let the water come back to a boil and then pour in a rough cup and a half of cold water.  Let the water come to a boil again and then add cold water a second time.  Let the pot come to a boil one last time and then remove dumplings from the water with a slotted spoon.  Repeat until you’ve cooked all of the dumplings that you could possibly eat in one sitting.

Crisp the dumplings in a skillet slicked with a bit of vegetable oil until the bottoms are brown and gorgeous.  Dig in!