Delicious and impressive, perfect for sharing with friends and family!
This was our first attempt at making potsticker buns, and we were surprised at how uncomplicated it was! Admittedly, this does take some time (including overnight setting of the jelly stock) but it is certainly worth the wait.
Servings
20 buns
Prep time:
12hrs, 20min
Cook time:
20min
Difficulty:
Easy-medium
Ingredients
For the jelly stock:
- 125ml chicken stock
- 1 gelatine leaf
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
For the dough:
- 250g Chinese low-gluten flour, plus a bit more for dusting
- 50g Chinese high-gluten flour
- 150ml lukewarm water
- 7g fast-action yeast
- 1/2 tsp baking power
- 1/2 tsp caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
For the filling:
- 300g pork mince
- 25g ginger (with skin on)
- 1 spring onion (white part only)
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Plus 2tbsp vegetable oil for cooking
We would recommend serving this dish as part of a feasting menu- it would be perfect for Chinese New Year!
We served these with some soy sauce and some Chinkiang vinegar. You can also sprinkle on some sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds for a bit of extra flavour.
This recipe is inspired by Fuchsia Dunlop’s Every Grain of Rice– an excellent book from which we’ve cooked on many occasions, and one we would very highly recommend!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
First, make the stock. Pour the chicken stock whilst still hot in a bowl, add the salt and pepper and mix well. Meanwhile, put the gelatine leaves into a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes until they become soft. After the stock has cooled a little bit, add in the gelatine leaves mixture and mix well until dissolved. Let the mixture cool, then leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Step 2
Next- make the dough. Combine the two flours, yeast, sugar and gradually add the water. Mix well. Once the water has been incorporated, add the baking powder and then continue to knead. We used a food processor- but you can also mix by hand, it just takes a bit longer! Once the dough is soft, cover with a tea towel and let raise.
Step 3
Whilst waiting for the dough, make the filling for the buns. Smash the ginger piece and the spring onion in a pestle and mortar to break up slightly. Put in a small bowl, and pour over some cold water, covering both. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the pork mince with the other filling ingredients. Then add 4 tablespoons of the water from the ginger/spring onion bowl and mix well. Next, you need to cut up the jelly stock into small pieces and then combine with the mince mixture. Set aside.
Step 4
By now, the dough should be ready to use. Knead briefly on a slightly floured surface, and divide the dough into 4 balls. Then divide each of these into around 4-5 balls- you should have around 20 altogether.
Step 5
Flatten each ball into a round circle, using a rolling pin. The circles don’t need to be too big- around 3 in diameter. Into the middle of each, place a spoon of the the mince mixture. Bring the sides of the dough, pleating and pinching in the middle tightly (see photo below). Repeat with the remaining dough circles.
Step 6
Once you have made all the buns, pour the vegetable oil into a non-stick frying pan (this needs to be big enough to fit all the buns) on medium-high heat , and make sure the oil covers the bottom entirely. When the oil has heated up, carefully place all the buns upside down into the pan, touching each other. Fry the buns for around 4-5 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and crisp, but be careful to not burn the buns.
Remove the pan from the hob, and carefully pour in 250ml of hot water into the pan, pouring it around evenly. Return to the hob (on medium-high heat still), cover and cook for another 8-10 minutes- the water should evaporate by then.
Step 7
Once the water has evaporated, you can remove the buns from the hob and they are ready to serve. You can either serve them as they are in the pan, or turn them upside down so the golden bottoms are on top. Enjoy!
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