Spring Time Half Moons

Instructions

1. For the dipping sauce; Put 1 cup white wine and the finely chopped leeks[washed and cleaned of any grit] in a small sauce pan and let it come to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook it down to a little over a 1/4 cup[ about 25 min]. The leeks would have disintegrated into the sauce. Turn off the heat and add a tablespoon of butter and whisk it in. Add salt to taste. This is the dipping sauce.
2. For the dumplings; Either using frozen petit pois or fresh peas, blanch the peas in lighltly salted water to get 1 cup of peas.
3. Saute the leeks in butter over a gentle flame for about two minutes. Puree the leeks and blanched peas with a little texture to them, not completely smooth. Add salt to taste.
4. Take about 15 of the thawed gyoza wrappers. Keep them covered under a cloth so they don't dry out and work with one at a time. On each wrapper put a couple of mint leaves or a few thyme leaves.
5. Then put about a 1 and a 1/2 teaspoons of the pea puree. With a wet finger go around the edge to make it sticky. Fold one half of the wrapper over the other to create a half moon. Pinch the edges to seal completely, so filling doesn't come out while cooking.. Finish the rest this way.
6. Meanwhile keep a wide pan filled with water to boil. Then bring it down to a simmer. Drop about 5 dumpling at a time gently into the water. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Then remove using a slotted spoon and shake off any excess water and set aside on a paper or tea towel.
7. Warm the same pan in which you sauteed the leeks and add some butter and put as many dumpling that will fit. Wait till you see some brown spots, then turn the dumplings over and cook the other side the same way, about a minute on each side.Remove and drain on a paper towel.
8. Serve with the dipping sauce. I garnished with whole platter with some chives. You can use any pureed spring vegetable like asparagus, artichoke etc for the filling.