Ingredients

For Pot stickers
Two or more napa cabbage heads
1/2 cup napa cabbage, chopped
1 T cilantro, chopped
2 T canola oil
2 tsp peeled, grated fresh ginger root
3 medium peeled garlic cloves, minced
8 oz peeled, cleaned and deveined shrimp, coarsely chopped
2 T dry sherry or dry white wine
1/3 cup chopped green onion, white and green parts
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
vegetable oil as needed for sauteing
Toasted sesame seeds for garnishing

Fermented Black Bean Sauce
2 T fermented black beans, rinsed*
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 T Chinese hot oil, or to taste

Directions

For Pot Stickers
Bring a small sauce pan of salted water to a boil. Have ready a small bowl of ice water. Separate napa cabbage leaves and plunge them into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Lift them out of the tear and shock in the ice water. Drain in colander. Lay leaves out on a clean kitchen towel.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, napa cabbage and cilantro and stir for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp meat and cook stirring one minute. Add the wine and stir one more minute. Stir in the green onion and salt and pepper to taste. Scrape mixture onto a plate and place in refrigerator to cool, uncovered.

When shrimp mixture has cooled, spoon a generous teaspoon onto each cabbage leaf. Roll the leaves around the shrimp mixture. The shrimp mixture should be visible on both ends of the roll.

Heat a large non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Add the shrimp rolls to the pan and cook until bottoms are nicely browned. Add about 3 ounces water to the pan and cover immediately. Let pot stickers steam for two minutes and uncover the pan. Cook until all of the water has evaporated, the filling is done and dumplings are browned on the bottoms.

Place dumplings on a platter and drizzle with Fermented Black Bean Sauce (recipe follows) and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

For Fermented Black Bean Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. You may make a larger quantity and store in the refrigerator for a month or more. The hot oil rises to the top, so be sure to stir well before serving.

Recipe Courtesy, Chef Roy Harland, Slates & Belana's Restaurants