Gyoza - Japanese Pan-Seared Pork & Cabbage Dumplings

These delicate dumplings make a great pre-meal bites along with a nice beer, dry white wine, or warm Saki. They are easy to make but even though they do take a while to wrap, it becomes a fun activity for family or friends to participate in. They are so good fresh that the effort will be well worth it. They also freeze exceptionally well so that you can always grab a few to have at anytime.

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Course: Appetizer, Hand Food, Street Food

Cuisine: Japanese

Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: Gyoza

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Large skillet, preferably nonstick, with a cover
Baking pan, parchment paper
Large and small bowls
Small container with lid

Ingredients

Gyozas

1 package Gyoza wrappers (50 wrappers)
3 cups Napa cabbage, trimmed and finely chopped
1 tbsp Kosher salt, divided
1 lb Ground pork
1 tsp white pepper
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Fresh ginger, minced
3 whole Scallions, minced
2 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Potato or corn starch, mixed with 1½ tbsp warm water

Dipping Sauce

½ cup Rice wine vinegar
¼ cup Light soy sauce
2 tbsp Chili oil (optional)

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Instructions

Make Sauce - In a jar with lid, mix ½ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup, and 2 tbsp chili oil if using. Put aside.
Make Filling - Massage cabbage and 2 tsp salt in a bowl. Leave for 15 minutes and then drain in a colander. Transfer drained cabbage to the middle of a kitchen towel. Twist towel over the sink to wring out as much liquid as possible. This is key to keeping the gyoza from getting soggy.
Place cabbage back in the bowl and add ground pork, 1 tsp salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, scallion, and 1 tbsp starch, and sugar. Using your hands, mush together until everything is fully distributed and filling feels tacky, about 2 minutes.
Make Dumplings - Set up a workstation for making dumplings. Have nearby a small bowl of corn/potato starch warm water for sealing, a tablespoon, 2 kitchen towels (drying hands and covering unused wrappers, and a parchment lined baking tray.
Form dumplings by holding 1 wrapper in the palm of 1 hand. Using a spoon, place 1 tbsp of filling in the center of the wrapper. Dip a finger tip from your other hand into the warm water and gently moisten one edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling to create a crescent. Seal. Place on baking tray seam side up and continue until all the wrappers are gone.
Cook Gyozas - Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add as many dumplings seam side up as will comfortable fit in one layer. Cook for about 1 minute, swirling pan to keep them sticking, until they're golden brown on the bottom.
Increase heat to medium high, add ¼ cup water, then cover and steam for 3 minutes. Continue cooking and swirling pan to keep gyoza from sticking. Gently dislodge any that might be sticking with a thin spatula. The gyoza will be cooked when the water has evaporated and the dumplings have crisped. Remove dumplings to a serving plate, seam side to the side to expose the crispy bottoms. Repeat to finish the remaining dumplings.
Serve hot with sauce for dipping.

Notes

Dumplings may be frozen at the point they've been assembled but not yet cooked.
To freeze, place tray with uncooked dumplings into the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove and transfer dumplings to a ziplock freezer bag and place in freezer to grab a few out whenever you want. They can be cooked the same way frozen, just extend the time steaming to 5 minutes.

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