Veggie Potstickers with Plum Dipping Sauce

this recipe is just 'plum' tasty

The end of summer is stone fruit season. I love these little gems. They are so easy to cook with and great for a snack on the go. Purple plums are one of my favorite stone fruits. My mom used to pack these for me when we would go to the neighborhood pool. I remember biting into the tart flesh, revealing the sweet soft insides, and ending with just the pit. It signaled the end of summer for sure.

In this recipe I cook plums down into a yummy sauce and pair them with veggie potstickers. The sweet sauce balances the savory flavors of the potstickers hitting on all 5 of our basic tastes. I find this in most Thai, Chinese, Japanese, etc. cuisine and I think that's why I enjoy learning to cook traditional Asian dishes. They also tend to use less meat than Americans...Ha! When you are looking for a crowd-pleasing appetizer this dish will deliver on all different levels of taste. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Makes 30-35 Potstickers
Veggie Potstickers
1C Savoy or Napa Cabbage, shredded
1C Mushrooms, chopped
1/2C Carrots, shredded
1 Shallot, minced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1in. Ginger Root, peeled & grated
2T Cilantro, chopped
2T Basil, chopped
1T Mint, chopped
1tsp. Kosher Salt
30-35 Round Wonton Wrappers
3-4T Peanut Oil, divided

Plum Dipping Sauce
2 Purple Plums, peeled, pitted, & chopped
1T Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1T Rice Vinegar
3T Water
1tsp. Sugar
2T Hoisin Sauce

Directions

Heat a large skillet over med-high and add 1T peanut oil. Once the oil is hot, saute the cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, shallot, garlic, and ginger until soft, approx. 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. After the mixture has cooled, stir in the herbs and 1tsp. salt.

Make the potstickers: lay 1 wonton wrapper on a clean surface, place 1tsp. of the filling in the middle,  wet your finger with water and trace a half-moon shape along the outside edge, fold the wrapper like a taco, and press the edges together firmly to seal. Stand the potsticker up on the folded side and shape as desired (see the back panel of the wonton package for a diagram). Repeat until all of the filling is gone. Place the finished potstickers on a tray and cover with a wet paper towel as you work. This will keep the wrapper from drying out.

Once the potstickers are made, work on the plum sauce. In a small pot, add the plums, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, and sugar. Cover and cook on medium for 10-15 minutes, or until the plums are very soft and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and mash the plums until they look like applesauce. Add the Hoisin and stir until combined. Pour the sauce into a serving dish and allow to come to room temperature as you cook the potstickers.

Wipe out the large skillet, return to med-high heat, and add about 2T peanut oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the potstickers in batches. Be sure not to crowd the pan, and to brown each side of the wonton, then remove to a plate. Repeat until all of the potstickers have been fried, adding more oil as needed.

Once the last of the potstickers have been browned, put all of them back into the pan, and add 6-7 ice cubes. Cover quickly to capture the steam that's created. This is what makes the potstickers both crunchy and chewy - so good! Allow all of the water to evaporate. Serve immediately with the plum dipping sauce. Experience all 5 tastes at once...enjoy!