Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

20 large fresh mushrooms

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ ?? cup flour

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¾ cup water

½ batch Shrimp Paste (page 216)

¼ cup cornstarch

4–6 cups oil for deep-frying

1. Wash the mushrooms, dry thoroughly, and remove the stems.
2. Sift the baking powder into the flour. Stir in the sugar, salt, and vegetable oil. Add the water slowly, adding more or less as necessary to make a smooth batter.
3. Add oil to a preheated wok and heat to 350°F. While oil is heating, spread up to ½ teaspoon of the Shrimp Paste on the inside of the mushroom. Lightly dust the outside of the cap with cornstarch. Use your fingers to coat the outside with the batter.
4. When oil is hot, deep-fry the mushrooms, adding a few at a time. Deep-fry until the batter turns a golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

How to Use Chopsticks

It may look tricky, but chopsticks are really quite easy to use. Hold the chopsticks slightly above the middle, making sure that the ends don't cross. Position them so that the top chopstick is between your thumb and index finger, and the lower chopstick between your middle and fourth fingers. To pick up food, use your thumb and index finger to raise and lower the upper chopstick. Think of it as a type of lever, and you've got the idea. One final tip: Stick to wood or bamboo chopsticks if possible, as food can slide off chopsticks made of plastic.

Potstickers with Rice Wine

1½ cups ground pork

3 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

3 teaspoons soy sauce

1½ teaspoons sesame oil

1½ tablespoons chopped onion

1 package round wonton (gyoza) wrappers

½ cup water for boiling potstickers

Oil for frying as needed

1. Combine the ground pork, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chopped onion.
2. To make the potstickers: Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper, fold over the filling, and seal, crimping the edges. Continue with the remainder of the potstickers. Cover the completed potstickers with a damp towel to prevent drying.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a preheated wok or skillet (1 tablespoon if using a nonstick pan). When oil is hot, add a few of the potstickers, smooth side down. Do not stir-fry, but let cook for about 1 minute.
4. Add ½ cup of water. Do not turn the potstickers over. Cook, covered, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Uncover, and cook until the liquid has evaporated.
5. Loosen the potstickers with a spatula and serve with the burnt side facing up. Serve with Potsticker Dipping Sauce (page 28).

Potsticker Origins

Potstickers are dumplings that are pan-fried on the bottom and steamed on top. According to legend, they were invented by a imperial court chef who panicked after realizing he'd accidentally burnt a batch of dumplings. With no time to make more, he served them anyway, and the rest is history. When cooking potstickers, it's important to add enough steaming water. While a crispy brown bottom is desirable, potstickers aren't supposed to stick too firmly to the bottom of the pot!