Chile-Mushroom Potstickers

From: Executive chef Josh Elliott, Church Publick, New York City. Yield: varies, depending on size of potstickers.

Ponzu Sauce:
3 cups fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
3 cups fresh lime juice, or more to taste
¾ cup rice vinegar
3 cups gluten free less-sodium soy sauce
¾ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
3 3” pieces kelp (konbu)
¾ oz. dried bonito flakes
1 tsp. cayenne
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 oz. cold water

Chile-Mushroom Filling:
½ lb. crimini mushrooms
½ lb. shiitake mushrooms
½ lb. portabella mushrooms
3 tsp. minced garlic
3 tsp. minced shallots
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
3 Tbsp. canola oil
¼ cup sweet chile sauce
to taste, chopped cilantro
to taste, salt and pepper

Potsticker Dough:
1 cup boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
4 oz. cilantro

For ponzu sauce: In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Let sit for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Strain. Separately, combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry. In a saucepot, bring ponzu to a simmer. Slowly whisk slurry into simmering sauce. Boil for 1 minute, then cool.

For chile-mushroom filling: Working with one type of mushroom at a time, slice mushrooms to an even size. Allow a sauté pan to get very hot, and add 1  Tbsp. canola oil. Add mushrooms and allow them to develop an even light brown color, about 1 minute. Add 1 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp. shallot, bay leaf and one sprig of thyme. Continue cooking until mushrooms are soft, about 3 minutes. Repeat the process for remaining mushrooms. When everything is cooked, combine all the mushrooms, making sure to remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. When all of the mushrooms are combined, add sweet chile sauce, cilantro, salt and pepper. Add a little seasoning at a time and check seasoning. Note: Cook mushrooms separately, because some mushrooms take longer to cook than others.

For potsticker dough: Cook cilantro in boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer bright green cilantro to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Puree cilantro in a blender. Place flour, salt and cilantro puree in a stand mixer, or large mixing bowl if working by hand. Pour remaining boiling water into bowl. If using stand mixer, make sure to use dough hook attachment, and run mixer on low speed for at least 2 minutes, until dough forms into a tight ball. If mixing by hand, stir with a wooden spoon for about 6 minutes.  Roll out dough on floured surface. Cut dough to desired shape, fill with chile-mushroom mix, fold over and seal with water before cooking.