Try Making Gyoza: It’s Really Simple and Addictive

Gyoza, or potstickers, are Japanese dumplings filled with meat and some vegetables — and wrapped in a thin dough. Originally from China, where they are known as jiaozi, gyoza are now a very popular dish in Japan.

When I worked as an apprentice chef at a Japanese restaurant, I found folding the gyoza took a bit of time to learn. Watching the Japanese chefs made it look easy, but when I tried, mine looked out of shape and not pretty to say the least! After a while, I got the hang of it and was churning out the gyoza just as fast as the Japanese chefs did.

Watch this video that shows how to wrap gyoza:

There are many different recipes for gyoza, but I have found simple ingredients are always the best.

Here is a nice simple ingredients list and recipe from food.com:

• 1 (30 sheets) package gyoza wrappers
• 2/3 lb ground pork
• 1/3 lb cabbage
• 1 bunch of green onions or 1 bunch of garlic chives, known in Japanese as nira
• 1-inch fresh ginger root, ground
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Shred the cabbage and cut the nira (green onions) fine.
2. Combine the cabbage, nira, pork, ground fresh ginger root, garlic, and seasonings. Mix well by hand.
3. Put 1 tbsp of the mixture on a gyoza wrapper. Wet the edge of the wrapper with water using your finger. Pinch the edges firmly and crimp together to seal.
4. Grease the skillet with vegetable oil and arrange gyoza in a single layer in the pan. Cook well over low heat.
5. When the bottoms of the gyoza become slightly brown, add ¼ cup of water.
6. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes.
7. Serve with your favorite gyoza sauce.

How you cook your gyoza depends on your own preference. However, there are really just three ways to cook gyoza:

1. Yaki gyoza (pan-fried)

Yaki gyoza is the most common way to cook it and my favorite. The bottom turns out crispy and the top is steamed. This is the way we cooked them at the restaurant I worked at. Start by heating up the frying pan, dipping one of the gyozas in oil and rubbing in the oil along a line, and then place the rest of your gyoza on the oil.

Pour enough water into the pan until it covers ¼ of the way up the gyoza. Place a lid on the pan and then let it boil until most of the water has gone. With the lid still on, tip the rest of the water out and put the pan back on the cooktop. Drizzle oil on the gyoza and fry until the bottom is nice and crispy on the medium-heat setting. Serve bottom side up.

2. Sui gyoza

This way of cooking gyoza is not so common and is usually served in a light broth. These are mainly served at Chinese restaurants and specialized gyoza shops. Usually, the gyoza is just boiled in water until cooked.

3. Age gyoza

Age gyoza are deep-fried and nice and crispy. They are not so common and usually served in Chinese restaurants and specialized gyoza shops.

To prepare gyoza, you need the perfect sauce. Just as the recipe is simple, it is best to keep the sauce simple too.

This is a sauce I use for my gyoza:

• 3 parts soy sauce
• 1 part vinegar
• 10 drops sesame oil/chili oil

Combine all ingredients and mix very well.

So have a go at making gyoza. Once you do, you will become addicted, just like I am.

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