Author Notes: Dumplings are one of my favorite snacks/appetizers/things-t0-eat-as-meals-that-are-not-in-fact-meals. Steamed, pan-fried or deep-fried, they’re perfect little bites of meat, vegetables and seasoning, and make handy vehicles for any kind of semi-liquid sauce.
Pork is the general favorite way to go along the usual Asian-themed potsticker route. Those are a pretty common guest in our kitchen. But at some point, I get a little bored, and end up with something like this: chicken, artichoke heart, spinach, shallot, garlic and feta cheese, all chopped very fine, shoved into a dumpling wrapper, sealed, and fried.
Served with a Greek yogurt and roasted red pepper sauce, these little guys are creamy, salty, briny, citrus-y, and extremely delicious. —charitydinner
Makes: 2 dozen potstickers
Ingredients
Mediterranean potstickers
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1
medium shallot, finely diced
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2
cloves garlic, minced
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olive oil
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kosher salt and pepper
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1
large chicken breast, marinated in Oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, grilled, and chopped very fine
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1
small jar artichoke hearts, drained and minced
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3
cups fresh baby spinach, diced
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1
cup feta cheese
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2
dozen potsticker wrappers (these generally can be found frozen at the grocery store)
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neutral cooking oil for frying
Greek yogurt-roasted red pepper sauce
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1
cup Greek yogurt
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juice of 1/2 lemon
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salt and pepper, to taste
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1 1/2
tablespoons honey, or to taste
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1/2 jar roasted red peppers, minced
Directions
Mediterranean potstickers
- Cook shallot and garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper over low heat. Let it go until the shallot starts to caramelize.
- Add the marinated, then grilled, then finely chopped chicken. Let it warm for a minute or so.
- Add artichoke, dried oregano and a little crushed red pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. After a few minutes, add the spinach and remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken and artichoke mix with the feta cheese.
- Moisten the edge of a potsticker wrapper with fingers dipped in water. Place a rounded tablespoon of the chicken mixture in the center, and fold the edges around the mix to create little half moons.
- Make as many potstickers as you plan to fry, and lay them out on a sheet pan.
- Bring the cooking oil to heat over just above medium. Frying about four potstickers at a time, let each one go for about three minutes per side (I fried in oil that was just 1/2 inch deep), or until a slightly deeper version of golden brown. Drain on paper towels, season with kosher salt, and serve with Greek yogurt-roasted red pepper sauce.
Greek yogurt-roasted red pepper sauce
- Combine the above ingredients, adjusting for saltiness, bitterness, and red pepper flavor. The roasted peppers will come through more as the sauce sits.
- Serve the fried dumplings with the creamy sauce. We also had some carrots — you know, for health.