Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. If whole, roughly chop into 1–2 cm pieces. Finely chop the scallions, separate whites from greens (keep some greens for garnish/sauce). Mince the ginger and garlic.

Pulse or mince shrimp

Place the chopped shrimp in a food processor and pulse 6–8 short times until the mixture is coarsely ground but still has small chunks (do not make a paste). If you don't have a processor, mince very finely with a knife until slightly paste-like but with texture.

Combine filling

Transfer the processed shrimp to a bowl. Add the minced scallion whites, minced ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce (1.5 tbs), Shaoxing wine (1 tbs), sesame oil (1 tbs), egg white (1 large), cornstarch (1 tbs), white pepper (0.25 tsp), sugar (0.5 tsp), and salt (0.5 tsp). Add the neutral oil (1 tbs) to keep the mixture supple. Mix vigorously with a spatula or spoon in one direction for 30–60 seconds until the filling becomes slightly sticky and cohesive. Taste a tiny amount (optional) by cooking a pinch in a skillet to check seasoning and adjust salt or soy sauce if needed.

Rest filling

Cover the filling and refrigerate for 10–15 minutes to let flavors meld and the cornstarch hydrate; this also firms the filling slightly for easier wrapping.

Wrappers & Assembly

Prepare workspace

Arrange wrappers on a clean work surface and keep a small bowl of water nearby for sealing. Lightly dust the workspace with a bit of cornstarch or flour if wrappers are sticky.

Portion filling

Spoon about 1 level tablespoon of filling (roughly 12–14 g) into the center of each wrapper. Avoid overfilling to prevent splitting.

Seal dumplings (basic pleat)

Dip a finger in the water and moisten half the wrapper edge. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling to form a half-moon, pressing at the top center to seal. Starting at one side, make 3 small pleats in the top edge, pressing firmly to seal each pleat and remove air. Make sure the dumpling is tightly sealed. Repeat until all wrappers are filled. Keep finished dumplings on a tray dusted with cornstarch, not touching each other.

Cook (Pan-fry Potstickers)

Heat pan

Use a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet with a lid. Add 1–2 tbs neutral oil and heat over medium-high until shimmering.

Brown bottoms

Place dumplings in the pan flat-side down, spaced slightly apart. Fry without moving for 2–3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.

Steam in pan

After browning, carefully pour in 120 ml (about 1/2 cup) of water around the dumplings and immediately cover with a lid to trap steam. Reduce heat to medium-low and steam for 6–8 minutes until the water has mostly evaporated and wrappers are tender and translucent.

Crisp and serve

Remove the lid and cook uncovered for 30–60 seconds to re-crisp the bottoms. Transfer dumplings to a platter and garnish with reserved sliced scallion greens. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce (optional)

Whisk together soy sauce (3 tbs), rice vinegar (1.5 tbs), sesame oil (0.5 tbs), chili oil (1 tsp), and sugar (0.5 tsp) until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the thinly sliced scallion (1 tbs). Adjust vinegar or soy to taste. Serve alongside hot dumplings.