If you’re someone who looks forwards to Saturday mornings at the farmers market, then chances are you also appreciate a dish that can bring all of that beautifully bright produce to life. Spring brings a bounty of fruits and vegetables, like ramps, fiddlehead ferns and stinging nettles. But some of the most sought after are spring peas and morel mushrooms. This recipe for potstickers puts both ingredients to use.
If you’re a home cook who likes a challenge, this is the meal is for you. The restaurant-worthy recipe comes straight from New York City’s Public Kitchen, a concept by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
The dish is a true celebration of spring’s ingredients, which is why it calls for morel mushrooms — a hot seasonal commodity that’s often found at farmers markets and on menus at some of the country’s fanciest restaurants. Unlike mushrooms found year-round at grocery stores, morels are grown in wild, wooded areas. They’re defined by their honeycomb appearance and meaty texture. The mushrooms bring an earthy, nutty-like flavor to the potstickers, that’s complemented by the addition of a subtle soy-lime ginger sauce.
The potstickers themselves may seem like they require a certain level of cooking finesse, but it’s really all about the fold. Their filling is made with a simple combination of spring peas, chopped green onion, jalapenos and fresh mint leaves. Once the ingredients for the filling are blended into a mash, scoop a tablespoon or so of the mixture onto the center of the wrappers. Use water to seal the wrapper edges, making sure you get out all of the air so that the potstickers don’t burst when cooking. Then, you saute the potstickers and serve them with a homemade garlic oil and soy sauce alongside some simply cooked morels for meat, extra springy flavor.
Although this recipe is involved because of its many elements, it’s the perfect way to pay homage to all the fresh produce spring has to offer before we move into summer — a season all about the best burgers and hot dogs.
Spring Pea Potstickers With Morel Mushrooms and Soy-Lime Ginger Sauce
This recipe is courtesy of chef Thomas McKenna at Public Kitchen.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 2 cups spring onions, sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups baby peas
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 jalapeño, chopped
- 10 fresh mint leaves, chopped
For the potstickers:
- Pea and onion filling
- 1 pack wonton wrappers
For the golden shallot-garlic oil:
- 1/4 cup shallot, thinly sliced
- 5-6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
For the soy-lime ginger sauce:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons ginger, thinly sliced against the grain
To serve:
- 6 morel mushrooms, sauteed in olive oil until browned
- 4-6 potstickers
- 2 tablespoons golden shallot-garlic oil
- 2 tablespoons soy-lime and ginger sauce
- 1 teaspoon chives, minced
- Pea shoots (optional)
For the filling:
Step 1: Combine onions, oil, salt and pepper in a pot and cook over low heat until onions are very soft with no color.
Step 2: Combine onion mixture with the peas, sugar and jalapeño in a food processor and process until it becomes a fine mash.
Step 3: Fold in mint leaves.
For the potstickers:
Step 1: Fill each wrapper with 1 1/2 tablespoon filling.
Step 2: Wet the edges with water using your finger.
Step 3: Fold and seal the potsticker, pushing out any extra air. Create pleated folds by wetting and uniting the top two corners in the middle of the potsticker (see video).
For the golden shallot-garlic oil:
Step 1: Combine shallots, garlic and oil in a small pot and cook over medium heat until golden.
Step 2: When the ingredients are at the desired color, immediately place the pot itself in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process, being careful not to get water into the oil.
For the soy-lime ginger sauce:
Step 1: Combine soy sauces, lime juice and ginger in a blender and blend until very smooth. Do not strain.
To serve:
Step 1: Roast potstickers in a non-stick pan with grapeseed oil on medium heat.
Step 2: When one side is crispy, remove excess oil, add 1/4 cup water and cover.
Step 3: When water has evaporated, check to see if the potstickers are cooked and the edges of the wontons are soft. If still firm, add more water as needed until cooked.
Step 4: Plate in a flat bowl, seared-side up, and garnish with the rest of the ingredients in the order they are listed.
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