Pork and Chive Potstickers (Jiaozi)

Jiaozi — Chinese dumplings — are celebration food. In northern China the whole family gathers to fold them, especially at Lunar New Year, when their plump, ingot-like shape stands for wealth and the folding itself is the point as much as the eating. Pan-fried until the bottoms turn golden and crisp, they become guotie, the potstickers loved the world over, and dumplings of every kind are honoured at festivals across the Chinese world.

Making them is a project best shared — put on some music, recruit some hands, and fold a big batch.

Juicy filling starts with water

The single most important trick is counterintuitive: beat cold water (or stock) into the ground pork a little at a time until it’s absorbed. This is what gives a cooked dumpling its burst of savoury juice inside, rather than a dry little meatball. Use pork with some fat in it, and fold the chopped chives in last so they stay fresh and don’t make the filling weep.

Fold without overfilling

A teaspoon of filling per wrapper is plenty — overfill and you’ll never seal it. Wet the edge, fold into a half-moon, press out the air, and crimp firmly. Pleating is traditional and pretty, but a simple sealed half-moon cooks identically; what matters is a tight seal and no trapped air.

Fry, then steam

The magic of the potsticker is one pan and two stages: fry the flat bottoms in oil until golden and crisp, then add a splash of water and slam the lid on to steam the tops and cook the filling through. When the water’s gone, let the bases re-crisp for a final minute. Serve crisp-side up with a sharp black-vinegar-and-chili-oil dip — and freeze whatever you didn’t cook, raw, to pan-fry straight from frozen another day.

Looking for more festive feasting? Browse the World Festive collection or the full recipe collection.