Japanese Food Series: Part2

Crispy, meaty, juicy, salty and sometimes spicy. A gyoza is all of these things and always soul satisfying.

I love all kinds of dumplings but gyoza hold a special place in my heart. It was my wife that introduced me to this delicious dish. We would go to an Izakaya after work and devour plates of gyoza and many other dishes. This dish and a some beer made all the day's challenges a distant memory! Gyoza are great at lunchtime with a bowl of ramen or for a late night snack with drinks. Really anytime is gyoza time!

Ingredients

1 pound of ground pork
2 cups of shredded cabbage, lightly steamed and dried
3 Scallions minced
1 Tablespoon Ginger minced
1 Tablespoon Garlic minced
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
Gyoza Skins
Egg Wash

Method

Mix ingredients #1 to #9 together in a bowl.
Place around 2 teaspoons of filling into a gyoza skin and brush the edge with egg wash.
Fold the gyoza with a pleat pattern. Continue until they are all filled.
Heat a pan on medium high heat with a thin layer of oil. Non-Stick pans are great for beginners.
Place the gyoza into the pan and cook for one minute.
Add a cup of water to the pan and cover and steam the dumplings for three minutes.
Remove the lid and let all the water evaporate out of the pan.
Let the gyoza sizzle in the pan for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat.
Place a plate upside down on top of the dumplings. Carefully flip the pan and plate with one hand on the plate. You will have the gyoza beautifully presented on the plate with the crispy side up.
Serve with the dipping sauce.