Food sticking to fry pan

Question

I've been having a problem lately with my potstickers sticking to my pan too much. This didn't start happening until recently.

I'm using my stainless fry pan rather than a nonstick. Mostly, because I like this pan the most. But perhaps I'm just using the wrong tool for the job.

I've tried to let them cook longer after the water has evaporated even until some of the bottoms burned as an experiment. even then some still stuck.

Here is my current method.

1. Get pan hot over medium high heat.
2. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. I've tried more and less with little change.
3. Let oil heat to ripple.
4. Add potstickers.
5. Add .5 to .75 cups of water.
6. cover and steam for about 10 minutes.
7. Let dumplings fry for a minute or two.

Answer 1

Your problem is probably between steps 3 and 4. When the oil is rippling, it is developing ridges and troughs of varying thicknesses of oil. The troughs, or thin spots are the most likely culprit for sticking.

After the oil has started to ripple, turn the heat down and tilt the pan so the ridges and troughs in the oil start to even out, then add the potstickers. Wait for a minute or two before turning the heat back up.

Answer 2

This trick made cooking in my stainless pan much more non-stick, including potstickers (or "mandu" in Korean^^)

Edit: That's unusual that the cooking instructions have you add water. I usually fry my frozen potstickers straight from the frozen state (perhaps they are pre-boiled?). You will have to use the BOIL/BROWN method to utilize the technique below.

Use the "water test" to know when the pan is hot enough to add oil. Besides being fascinating to watch, passing the water test ensures the pan becomes amazingly non-stick.

When the pan is hot enough, water will ball up like mercury and slide around the pan without evaporating. The temperature required is pretty high, but I've found the non-stick properties remain if I add the oil and let the pan cool to the cooking temperature I want.

Note: preheating the pan like this applies to non-stainless steel pans, but water only balls up like mercury on stainless steel.

Detailed explanation of how/why this works: On properly heating your pan

Answer 3

These answers have touched on your solution. An even layer of oil is good because you wont let the edges touch the hot pan, where the oil is shallow. But also, another thing you can try is to cook the pot-stickers from non-frozen and/or bake them for a few minute and then fry.

If you choose to keep your current procedure, when the oil ripples, grab the pan handle (with a hot pad) and shake gently back and forth to evenly distribute the oil. This often gets rid of the ripples and allows for even depths. I would recommend experimenting with different techniques, though, like thawing first and/or baking or nuking for a few minutes before frying.

How are these pot-stickers made? From scratch or from a bag? If there are instructions, what are they?

Answer 4

I sometimes get the individually frozen potstickers and I use the inverse procedure. I fry each one in medium heat until you get the brown bottoms and then I add the water (or stock) to the pan.

Food likes to stick to metal, that is why cast iron pans need to be seasoned. In stainless steel the oil is supposed to get into all the microscopic crevices in the pan, but this does not always happen.

Answer 5

I know it dirties one more pan, but the two-step method is better for potstickers:

1. Boil the potstickers the specified time (usually around 8 minutes)
2. Heat up a pan on high, add the oil, fry the pot stickers.

As much as I love olive oil, for frying things on high heat, you can't use it - it'll be burning. For potstickers, fried rice, stir frying vegetables, I use grapeseed oil. And unless you're doing just a few potstickers, I'd use more than 2 tablespoons.

Answer 6

You can use a lower fire when frying to avoid sticking. After it's fried, let it rest in the pan with the fire off.

Or use a nonstick pan.

Answer 7

You want perfect potstickers?

Steam them first, you may need parchment paper or cabbage or oil underneath so they don't stick.

Then sear on high heat for color, with oil. Thats how restaurants get this perfect dumplings.