The Chinese New Year starts this year on Feb. 18. Of the 12 annual zodiac signs in that culture's calendar, this year's is the pig, a symbol of fun and plentiful times ahead.

To me, that means feasting. (And, yes, every one of the other Chinese zodiac signs means feasting to me, as well). At my two branches of Chinois in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, as well as my other restaurants, I love to celebrate with my own interpretations of classic Chinese dishes.

And what better dish could there be for the Year of the Pig than pork-filled potstickers, plump, juicy dumplings that get their name because they're traditionally steamed and fried in a cast-iron pan from which they have to be dislodged after cooking?

When my chefs and I create our own versions of any traditional dish, we look on the process not as change but rather evolution. We respect and keep whatever's definitive and good while adding our own creative yet compatible twists. As you'll see in the recipe here, those twists come in the filling and in the way I like to cook the potstickers.

With my central European background, I love the way pork's slightly sweet flavor goes with tart-sweet dried fruit. So I add raisins or other dried fruit to my potsticker filling, along with the garlic, ginger, green onions, and other traditional Chinese flavorings. For the juiciest filling, choose a cut of pork that isn't too lean; though there's nothing bad about using leaner cuts if you like, or even substituting turkey or chicken breast meat.

Because there's some work involved in making the filling and assembling the dumplings, I prefer to make a generous quantity. Freeze any you don't plan to serve right away on a baking sheet and then pack them in airtight freezer-proof bags, to be cooked straight out of the freezer following the recipe instructions.

Traditional potstickers are cooked just in the cast-iron pan I mentioned. First they're browned in a little fat; then some broth is added and the dumplings are covered and steamed until done, often sticking to the pan in the process.

I prefer an easier way. First, I boil the dumplings in lots of water, as I would ravioli or other filled pasta. Then I heat a little oil in a nonstick skillet and brown them on one side before serving.

The results are just as good as the original approach - moist, flavorful, and both tender and crunchy. Plan on your guests pigging out and eating more than you might think - at least six per person, depending on what else you are serving.

Happy Year of the Pig!

CHINOIS POTSTICKERS WITH GROUND PORK AND DRIED FRUIT

Makes 9 to 10 dozen

FILLING:

10 peeled garlic cloves

1 piece fresh ginger root, about 1 inch long, peeled

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 pounds boneless pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup raisins, dried pitted cherries, dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots

1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, minced

1/2 bunch green onions, trimmed and minced

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Pinch sugar

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese chili paste

1 tablespoon toasted Asian sesame oil

POTSTICKERS:

About 10 dozen round wonton wrappers

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash

Peanut oil, for frying

DIPPING SAUCE:

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 cup toasted Asian sesame oil

2 tablespoons minced green onions

Large pinch sugar

First, prepare the filling. In a blender, combine the garlic and ginger. Turn on machine and slowly pour in the peanut oil, continuing to blend until the ingredients form a puree. Transfer to a bowl and add the pork, dried fruit, cilantro, green onion, salt and pepper to taste, sugar, oyster sauce, chili paste, and sesame oil. Stir together, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

To grind the meat, you can use a food grinder with the medium grinding die or a food processor with the stainless-steel blade.

Remove the marinated pork from the refrigerator.

For the grinder, turn on the machine and, following manufacturer's instructions, pass the pork mixture through the grinder; then, transfer to an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix at slow speed until the mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

If using the processor, process the meat in batches to avoid overfilling the work bowl; for each batch, pulse the machine until the meat is coarsely chopped and then process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl occasionally.

To assemble the potstickers, separate the wonton wrappers a dozen or so at a time, laying them out on a work surface. Brush their edges lightly with the egg wash. Place a generous tablespoonful of the filling in the center of each wonton skin and fold the wrapper in half around the filling; then seal the edges securely together, folding and pressing small pleats all along the seam, to create a half-moon shape. Continue with the remaining wrappers, egg wash, and filling until you have used up all of the filling, placing the finished dumplings on a baking sheet and refrigerating them until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add a small batch of potstickers and boil gently for 6 to 7 minutes; then, with a wire skimmer, transfer them to paper towels to drain thoroughly. Heat a thin layer of peanut oil in the bottom of a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the drained potstickers, seam sides up, and cook just until their undersides are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, put all the Dipping Sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and briefly whisk until combined.

To serve, transfer the cooked potstickers to a platter or individual serving plates. Pour the sauce into one or more small bowls for dipping.

Chef Wolfgang Puck's TV series, "Wolfgang Puck's Cooking Class," airs Sundays on the Food Network. Also, his latest cookbook, "Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy," is now available in bookstores. Write Wolfgang Puck in care of Tribune Media Services Inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y. 14207.