To Make Filling:

Place cabbage in a small strainer set over a bowl. Salt liberally and toss. Leave for at least 10 minutes (15 is better), then rinse and drain. Place cabbage in a small pile in the middle of a clean towel and roll towel closed. Grab each end of the towel and twist to squeeze the moisture out of the cabbage.

While the cabbage sits with the salt, prepare the rest of the filling. Add pork and scallions to small bowl. Sprinkle with soy, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar., sugar, and white pepper.

Once the cabbage has been squeezed, add to bowl. Using chopsticks or working gently with fingertips, combine all ingredients together.

To Fill and Fold:

Ready your filling, a small cup or bowl of water, a couple of clean kitchen towels, slightly dampened, and the skins (wrappers.) Sprinkle a plate or a sheet tray with a little cornstarch. This is easily done by adding a teaspoon or so of cornstarch to a sieve and sprinkling over the surface. Tap out any excess cornstarch.

Work with six wrappers at a time, covering the remainder of them with a damp towel. Pick up a wrapper, place it in your left (or non dominant) hand, across the top of your palm and bottom of your fingers. Use a finger dipped in water to run a bead of moisture around the outside of edge of the wrapper. Add a scant teaspoon of filling, then fold in half, from the edge closest to your palm to the edge closest to your fingers. Make certain it meets in the middle, but don’t press down yet.

You’ll use your left thumb, right thumb, and index fingers to pleat and seal. Make the first pleat on the left side of the wrapper. Continue to shift and pleat, pressing each pleat to the back side of the dumpling wrapper as you go. Ensure that no small pieces of filling are sticking up where the potsticker is sealed. Shift a bit and tap the filling down if necessary.

Eight pleats are said to be an auspicious number, but make as few or as many as desired. As each potsticker is done, place on prepared tray by rows. As you place the dumplings, feel free to very lightly press so the bottom is flat and gently press the top into a curved shape, making sure the seals are tight. When six are done, cover with a damp towel and move on to the next six.

To Cook:

Heat a large nonstick pan with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the dumplings, flat side down, to the pan. If working with a large batch, start at the center, and place in concentric circles as quickly as possible. If they’ve been sitting on cornstarch, brush any excess off before starting to fry. That little bit of cornstarch has a purpose; it prevents sticking to the tray and helps the bottom fry up beautifully.

Let fry for 1 minute until the bottoms are just light golden brown. You may need to shift the pan slightly from side to side on the burner to make certain all the dumplings brown at the same time. Pour 1/3 cup of water (or broth) into the pan and immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid. Turn heat to medium and let the dumplings steam for 3 minutes.

Open the lid and let any remaining liquid cook off (about 1 minute). Check to see if the bottoms are crispy and golden brown, and all potstickers have loosened from the steaming. If not, cook longer if necessary or if any are stuck, carefully loosen with a thin spatula. Place a large plate over the pan, and carefully flip the whole works. If any are remaining in the pan, remove them.

To keep the bottom crisp, turn any potstickers resting on the bottom to their side.

To cook more, quickly wipe pan clean and repeat.