Molly Yeh’s Hand-pulled Noodles with Potsticker Filling Sauce
Recipe by Molly Yeh
Serves 6 to 8
When I came across this recipe in Molly Yeh’s latest cookbook, Home Is Where the Eggs Are, I had to try it. I’m a big fan of potstickers, but the store-bought varieties always disappoint on flavor. This is a fun recipe that turned out well. Making the noodles by scratch is time consuming (about 90 minutes), but that’s part of what makes this dish fun and special—especially when you’re able to pull a noodle that is multiple feet long!
Ingredients:For the noodles:3 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Reduce to 3/4 teaspoons if not using Diamond.)1 cup slightly warm waterAvocado oil
For the filling:1 boneless, skinless chicken breast2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs1 tablespoon avocado oil4 scallions1 inch of fresh ginger1/2 medium napa cabbage
For the sauce (doubled from Molly’s original recipe):4 tablespoons soy sauce2 teaspoons sugar2 tablespoons roasted red chili paste (Specifically, sambal oelek if you can find it.)2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar (I did not double the vinegar since it is used as a finishing touch.)
Instructions:
1. About 90 minutes before you’re ready to eat, start making the noodles by combining the flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix to combine.2. Add the water to the flour mixture. 3. Using your hands, mix the dough. (It will be dry and crumbly.)4. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it the flour is well hydrated. (The dough may not be totally smooth at this point, which is okay as long as it isn’t dry and is able to form into a ball.)5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. 6. After 20 minutes, unwrap the dough and knead for an additional 5 minutes. (At this point, the dough should be nice and smooth.)7. Divide the dough into 3 parts.8. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into three long ovals. (The dough was a little stubborn at this point, so I rolled them as long as I could get them. Molly suggests 12x3-inch ovals.)9. Coat each oval with a little avocado oil and allow to rest under plastic wrap for 30 to 60 minutes. (I waited close to 60 minutes. At that point, the dough was easy to stretch.)10. While the dough is resting, start on your filling by making your ground chicken. 11. Cut the chicken breast and thighs into large chunks and add it to a food processor in two batches. Pulse until you have a mince similar to ground meat. (If you can find ground chicken in the grocery store, use 1 pound of ground chicken. I like to make my own because the ground chicken at the store never looks very appealing.)12. Heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium heat on the stovetop. 13. When the oil is hot, add the ground chicken. Season with one or two hearty pinches of kosher salt.14. While the chicken is browning, slice the scallions, peel and mince the ginger, and thinly slice the cabbage. 15. After the vegetables are prepped, prepare a large pot of water for the noodles.16. When the meat is cooked, add the scallions and ginger. Cook for 1 minute.17. Add the cabbage and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until the cabbage is tender. 18. When the cabbage is cooked, add the soy sauce, sugar, and roasted red pepper paste. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low.19. Heat the water to a boil on the stovetop over high heat while you stretch the noodles.20. To stretch the noodles, work with one oval at a time. Cut it into six strips. To pull the noodles, hold the dough with your nondominated hand a few inches from one end. With your dominate hand, pull the dough through your opposite fingers as if it is a piece of yarn, tugging gentle to stretch the dough. (Don’t worry if the dough breaks. Keep trying and you’ll get the hang of it.)21. When the water has boiled, add the noodles to the water in 3 batches. Cook each batch for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, add the noodles directly to the pan of filling. (If you’re worried about the sauce cooking too much, just remove the pan from the heat during the noodle cooking process.)22. Continue pulling and cooking your noodles until you’ve used all the dough. 23. Once all the noodles have been added to the chicken mixture, add 1/4 cup pasta water and toss to combine.24. Taste for seasoning. Add an additional pinch or two of salt if needed.25. Serve with additional scallions, red pepper paste, and sesame seeds as desired.
Ingredients:For the noodles:3 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Reduce to 3/4 teaspoons if not using Diamond.)1 cup slightly warm waterAvocado oil
For the filling:1 boneless, skinless chicken breast2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs1 tablespoon avocado oil4 scallions1 inch of fresh ginger1/2 medium napa cabbage
For the sauce (doubled from Molly’s original recipe):4 tablespoons soy sauce2 teaspoons sugar2 tablespoons roasted red chili paste (Specifically, sambal oelek if you can find it.)2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar (I did not double the vinegar since it is used as a finishing touch.)
Instructions:
1. About 90 minutes before you’re ready to eat, start making the noodles by combining the flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix to combine.2. Add the water to the flour mixture. 3. Using your hands, mix the dough. (It will be dry and crumbly.)4. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it the flour is well hydrated. (The dough may not be totally smooth at this point, which is okay as long as it isn’t dry and is able to form into a ball.)5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. 6. After 20 minutes, unwrap the dough and knead for an additional 5 minutes. (At this point, the dough should be nice and smooth.)7. Divide the dough into 3 parts.8. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into three long ovals. (The dough was a little stubborn at this point, so I rolled them as long as I could get them. Molly suggests 12x3-inch ovals.)9. Coat each oval with a little avocado oil and allow to rest under plastic wrap for 30 to 60 minutes. (I waited close to 60 minutes. At that point, the dough was easy to stretch.)10. While the dough is resting, start on your filling by making your ground chicken. 11. Cut the chicken breast and thighs into large chunks and add it to a food processor in two batches. Pulse until you have a mince similar to ground meat. (If you can find ground chicken in the grocery store, use 1 pound of ground chicken. I like to make my own because the ground chicken at the store never looks very appealing.)12. Heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium heat on the stovetop. 13. When the oil is hot, add the ground chicken. Season with one or two hearty pinches of kosher salt.14. While the chicken is browning, slice the scallions, peel and mince the ginger, and thinly slice the cabbage. 15. After the vegetables are prepped, prepare a large pot of water for the noodles.16. When the meat is cooked, add the scallions and ginger. Cook for 1 minute.17. Add the cabbage and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until the cabbage is tender. 18. When the cabbage is cooked, add the soy sauce, sugar, and roasted red pepper paste. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low.19. Heat the water to a boil on the stovetop over high heat while you stretch the noodles.20. To stretch the noodles, work with one oval at a time. Cut it into six strips. To pull the noodles, hold the dough with your nondominated hand a few inches from one end. With your dominate hand, pull the dough through your opposite fingers as if it is a piece of yarn, tugging gentle to stretch the dough. (Don’t worry if the dough breaks. Keep trying and you’ll get the hang of it.)21. When the water has boiled, add the noodles to the water in 3 batches. Cook each batch for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, add the noodles directly to the pan of filling. (If you’re worried about the sauce cooking too much, just remove the pan from the heat during the noodle cooking process.)22. Continue pulling and cooking your noodles until you’ve used all the dough. 23. Once all the noodles have been added to the chicken mixture, add 1/4 cup pasta water and toss to combine.24. Taste for seasoning. Add an additional pinch or two of salt if needed.25. Serve with additional scallions, red pepper paste, and sesame seeds as desired.