The elusive Potsticker dipping sauce
Mr. Mustard decided to prepare pot stickers (or Jiaozi) for dinner tonight. Mmmmm. Pot stickers. They were all I craved when I was pregnant with Baby Balsamic, so much so that I was privately, hormonally convinced she would come into this world in a doughy wrapper. And now that I know the Chinese word for potsticker is Jiaozi, I'm depressed that I didn't name Baby Balsamic that even though she's pretty much 100% European mutt.
So, normally when you get those Ling Ling pot stickers, they come with a little packet of dipping sauce that is MSG-yy yummy. But never enough; I run out after two pot stickers. But Mr. Mustard, ever penny wise, decided to buy a giant bag from Trader Joes.
No dipping sauce!
But he knows I can whip something up -- he did marry me -- so he asks what we put into the sauce. And I reply "soy sauce, rice vinegar, a bit of brown sugar, and sesame oil." We sit down to eat and I've had one potsticker before I'm up with my bowl of sauce and back in the kitchen, to just add a touch more sweetness: a little more rice vinegar, a little more sugar. He's shouting after me, "What? What do you need? What are you doing?"
I bring my doctored bowl back in and start again to eat. But something is still missing. I'm up again and in the kitchen. This time, I add a touch more rice vinegar and a tad more sesame oil. But the sauce is still to salty.
It was good, but I never got it just right so that when that pillow of pot sticker bursts in my mouth, my mouth quivers with the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and doughy.
It's elusive, this pot sticker sauce. Very elusive. I must do more research. I'll start with the Ling Ling recipe here. Let's see if I can replicate.
Condiment Grrl
So, normally when you get those Ling Ling pot stickers, they come with a little packet of dipping sauce that is MSG-yy yummy. But never enough; I run out after two pot stickers. But Mr. Mustard, ever penny wise, decided to buy a giant bag from Trader Joes.
No dipping sauce!
But he knows I can whip something up -- he did marry me -- so he asks what we put into the sauce. And I reply "soy sauce, rice vinegar, a bit of brown sugar, and sesame oil." We sit down to eat and I've had one potsticker before I'm up with my bowl of sauce and back in the kitchen, to just add a touch more sweetness: a little more rice vinegar, a little more sugar. He's shouting after me, "What? What do you need? What are you doing?"
I bring my doctored bowl back in and start again to eat. But something is still missing. I'm up again and in the kitchen. This time, I add a touch more rice vinegar and a tad more sesame oil. But the sauce is still to salty.
It was good, but I never got it just right so that when that pillow of pot sticker bursts in my mouth, my mouth quivers with the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and doughy.
It's elusive, this pot sticker sauce. Very elusive. I must do more research. I'll start with the Ling Ling recipe here. Let's see if I can replicate.
Condiment Grrl
Labels: Ling Ling, Pot sticker dipping sauce
posted by CondimentGrrl at 10:30 PM
10 Comments:
So?? Did you ever get the recipe down to your liking?? BTW - I only buy Ling Ling potstickers in the giant bags from Costco - I think there are 5 packets of sauce in the bag.. you just have to dig for them. I dilute them with shoyu, cuz as you say: there is never enough!! I'd sure like to be able to duplicate the dipping sauce at home, altho you can buy bottles of it directly from the Ling Ling company. :)
Sheri, you can't but it -- I've tried-- any more suggestions, please?
http://www.eart99.com/ling/mailorder.htm
Heere's the link to buy bottles of the sauce. It's so amazing.
that link does not work.....are you sure you have it correct?
I think your missing ingredient is mirin. I just made gyoza today and mixed soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, mirin and a dash of sriracha.(sorry, no exact measurements, I just kept tasting it.) I think I nailed it. Just thought it might help.
http://www.ling-ling.com/products/sauces/potstickerSauce.html
You can buy the ling ling potsticker sauce here!!!!! (on amazon). Finally!!!!
Potstickers normally are sauced at the table by the consumer, to the consumer's taste. You have the right ingredients: soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil. Use all of them or some of them as you prefer. In a restaurant, there would be some kind of chili hotness on the table too: chili oil, chili paste, togarashi (chili powder) if it's a Japanese restaurant. (Potstickers are widely consumed by Koreans and Japanese as well as Chinese.) Some of us use synthetic sweeteners. Some want more, less or no vinegar, sugar or sesame oil. Just about any vinegar works fine, though some are stronger than others. Best way is to not make a sauce ... let each person make their own to adjust to their own taste. Just put the sauce condiments on the table. Minced green onion and coriander greens (cilantro) also are nice.
Great post; love the recipe.
I know it's a few years too late, but there is no added MSG in the ling ling potsticker sauce.
Ling Ling has stopped selling its potsticker dipping sauce. I used to buy a case (12 bottles) each year, and am miserable that it's no longer offered to the Public. Everybody needs to go to www.LingLing.com and write to them about bringing this sauce back. I used it for everything... marinating, gravys, soups, stir frying... And yes, those little envelopes that come in the large bag of potstickers aren't nearly large enough!!!
SOY SAUCE, SUGAR, VINEGAR, JALAPENO PUREE, CHILI FLAKE, CRUSHED GARLIC, VEGETABLE OIL, SUGAR, VINEGAR, CORN STARCH, COTTONSEED OIL, SESAME SEED OIL
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