Hello Stranger!
Oh, hey, it's been a while... I know, I keep zoning out, making excuses for disappearing... It's been a crazy busy summer, I don't know where the time has gone. The garden -despite being so tiny- has been keeping me on my toes, and the near drought conditions we had been experiencing up until this week have been relentless. The thirsty plants that feed me seemed like more of a priority.
But I have been thinking up LOTS of things to write about, and if I can just get around to sitting down to type everything, I just may have a few posts up my sleeves this month. On my mind -and in my belly- at the moment are gyoza. Though these little dumplings are now most often called by their Japanese name, they are originally of Chinese origin and were once known by the moniker 'pot sticker'.
The dumplings are wrapped in a round, wheat-based dough and folded much like Polish pierogies or Russian piroshki. The pastry is easily found in most Asian shops, though if you have the time and stamina, it can be made by hand. Gyoza wrappers are not to be confused with wonton wrappers which are square, and usually contain eggs, or shumai/har-kau wrappers which are made with rice flour and tapioca starch.
The pastry is often sold frozen, but I prefer to buy pastry from the refrigerator since any left-overs can be frozen. I also try to get the thinnest pastry possible as thick pastry results in doughy dumplings. However, there are rarely any indications on the packaging as to the thickness of the pastry, so if you do end up with doorstop wrappers, you can thin them out yourself with a rolling pin.
Gyoza are traditionally filled with minced pork and/or chopped prawns, but anything can be turned into a filling: as I eat mostly vegetarian fare, I replace the minced meat with crushed firm tofu. The most basic ingredients are garlic, ginger, spring onions, and Chinese cabbage, all in obscene quantities. Anything else is up for grabs. I sometimes even throw in left-over bits of cheese, if it's kicking about. The filling in the following pictures is composed of the above basic ingredients, tofu, bits of Cheddar, and kimchi, a spicy Korean pickled cabbage.
Before cooking another batch, wipe the the pan clean, then add more oil.
Gyoza are traditionally served with a dipping sauce made of strong mustard, soy sauce, white vinegar and chili oil, but really, any dipping sauce will do. If you are filling your gyoaza with different stuffings, fold the wrappers in different manners in order to tell them apart: the edge can be scrunched together to form a little hobo's parcel; meet up three sides together to make triangular Hamentaschen, or make a four sided version.
Alternatively, you can do the Shanghai fold: Pinch the edge in one hand, and with the other, crimp one half of the pastry. With the pinching hand, press the crimped edge to the flat back. The resulting dumpling should have a curved backside and a bulging front.
Bon app'!
The dumplings are wrapped in a round, wheat-based dough and folded much like Polish pierogies or Russian piroshki. The pastry is easily found in most Asian shops, though if you have the time and stamina, it can be made by hand. Gyoza wrappers are not to be confused with wonton wrappers which are square, and usually contain eggs, or shumai/har-kau wrappers which are made with rice flour and tapioca starch.
The pastry is often sold frozen, but I prefer to buy pastry from the refrigerator since any left-overs can be frozen. I also try to get the thinnest pastry possible as thick pastry results in doughy dumplings. However, there are rarely any indications on the packaging as to the thickness of the pastry, so if you do end up with doorstop wrappers, you can thin them out yourself with a rolling pin.
Gyoza are traditionally filled with minced pork and/or chopped prawns, but anything can be turned into a filling: as I eat mostly vegetarian fare, I replace the minced meat with crushed firm tofu. The most basic ingredients are garlic, ginger, spring onions, and Chinese cabbage, all in obscene quantities. Anything else is up for grabs. I sometimes even throw in left-over bits of cheese, if it's kicking about. The filling in the following pictures is composed of the above basic ingredients, tofu, bits of Cheddar, and kimchi, a spicy Korean pickled cabbage.
Gyoza
Yields 50 dumplings
50 sheets gyoza wrappers (about 300g/10.6oz)
250g/8.8oz firm tofu (more or less 2 blocs) -you can substitute with prawns, minced pork or chicken
5 green onions
5 cloves of garlic
5cm/2" piece of ginger
4 leaves of Chinese cabbage
½tsp salt
ground pepper
vegetable oil
vegetable oil
Optional additions: mushrooms; kimchi; diced cheese; grated carrots, daikon; Asian pickles such as bamboo shoots
Place the tofu blocs in a colander over a bowl, and weigh down with a plate. Let sit for at least half an hour (at room temperature), or up to a day (in the fridge).
Wash the green onions, and finely chop. Trim and peel the garlic and ginger, and mince or grate on a fine grater.
Wash the Chinese cabbage leaves, cut into three or four lengthwise strips, and chop.
Mix together the cabbage, green onions, garlic and ginger, and season with the salt and pepper. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
Grab the veg mix by the handful, and squeeze out as much juice as possible: you want the filling to be very dry.
Remove the weight from the tofu, and pat dry with a paper towel. Crumble the tofu into the veg mix.
If using any optional additions, chop finely, and squeeze out any excess juice before mixing into the veg.
To fill the dumplings, set up a production line: fill a bowl with cold water, have a baking tray or a plate ready for the finished dumplings, remove the wrappers from the packet, have a few teaspoons at the ready, and clear out a section of your worktop.
To fill the dumplings, set up a production line: fill a bowl with cold water, have a baking tray or a plate ready for the finished dumplings, remove the wrappers from the packet, have a few teaspoons at the ready, and clear out a section of your worktop.
Dip a finger in the water bowl and dampen the edge of one pastry sheet.
Place a teaspoonful of filling in the centre of the pastry: it is of the utmost importance not to overfill the wrapper!
Place a teaspoonful of filling in the centre of the pastry: it is of the utmost importance not to overfill the wrapper!
Fold the pastry in two, and pinch the edges shut.
Crimp the dumpling by folding the edge over and over, just as you would a paper fan.
Line the dumplings onto the baking tray, and proceed with the rest of the wrappers.
The gyoza can be frozen at this point, and cooked (from frozen) at a later date.
Crimp the dumpling by folding the edge over and over, just as you would a paper fan.
Line the dumplings onto the baking tray, and proceed with the rest of the wrappers.
The gyoza can be frozen at this point, and cooked (from frozen) at a later date.
To cook the gyoza, heat a large frying pan to medium-high. When hot, add a tablespoonful of oil in the pan, and swirl about.
Place the gyoza in the pan, side to side, touching their neighbours is fine.
Leave the dumplings to fry until their bottoms are nicely crisped and golden brown.
Add about 1cm/½" of water to the pan, and cover with a lid.
Steam the dumplings until the pan goes dry, about 3 minutes.
If you are cooking frozen dumplings, double the amount of water added to the pan, and leave to steam for at least 8 minutes, to ensure that the filling is completely defrosted and cooked through.
Slide the dumplings onto a plate and serve immediately.Place the gyoza in the pan, side to side, touching their neighbours is fine.
Leave the dumplings to fry until their bottoms are nicely crisped and golden brown.
Add about 1cm/½" of water to the pan, and cover with a lid.
Steam the dumplings until the pan goes dry, about 3 minutes.
If you are cooking frozen dumplings, double the amount of water added to the pan, and leave to steam for at least 8 minutes, to ensure that the filling is completely defrosted and cooked through.
Before cooking another batch, wipe the the pan clean, then add more oil.
Gyoza are traditionally served with a dipping sauce made of strong mustard, soy sauce, white vinegar and chili oil, but really, any dipping sauce will do. If you are filling your gyoaza with different stuffings, fold the wrappers in different manners in order to tell them apart: the edge can be scrunched together to form a little hobo's parcel; meet up three sides together to make triangular Hamentaschen, or make a four sided version.
Alternatively, you can do the Shanghai fold: Pinch the edge in one hand, and with the other, crimp one half of the pastry. With the pinching hand, press the crimped edge to the flat back. The resulting dumpling should have a curved backside and a bulging front.
Bon app'!
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