Gyoza: The Ultimate Dumpling Cookbook. Paradise Yamamoto
you can find long, slender Japanese leeks
(called naganegi) in your local Asian market,
they are preferable. Otherwise, conventional
green onions are fine. Trim away the roots
and any wilted leaves, and use both the
green and white parts.
Pork Loin
Pork is the traditional meat of choice
for gyoza. You’ll be amazed at the
difference in flavor and texture when
you mince it yourself instead of buy-
ing ground meat. Boneless pork loin is
easiest to manage, and its leanness is
balanced out with an equal quantity of
chopped pork belly.
Shiitake Mushrooms
Fresh shiitakes are becoming more widely available.
You can find them in well-stocked produce sections,
as well as at some farmers’ markets. Dried shiitakes,
which are also easy to obtain, have a richer flavor
than fresh. To reconstitute dried mushrooms, place
in a bowl of filtered water, weight with a small plate,
and let stand in a cool place or the refrigerator for 8
hours or overnight. Drain and reserve the soaking
water for another purpose, like soup stock. If you’re
in a hurry, you can reconstitute them in 30 minutes
with boiling water, but the flavor and texture are
better with a slow soak.
Shaoxing Rice Wine
This rice wine, from a specific
region of China, is aged to take on
the characteristics of dry sherry.
It is widely available in Asian
markets. Dry sherry or sake may
be substituted if you can’t find
Shaoxing wine.
Gyoza Wrappers
Egg roll wrappers, wonton wrappers, dumpling skins … these thin
sheets of wheat-flour dough go by many names. They are available in
a range of shapes, sizes, and quantities at both conventional and Asian
markets. For the recipes in this book, look for gyoza wrappers, which
are about 3½ inches (9 cm) in diameter and come in packages
of about fifty. You may be able to find larger wrappers,
about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter; these are
preferable for certain recipes. If you can only
find square-shaped wrappers, worry not! You
can use a pastry cutter or other appropri-
ately sized round object (tin can, drinking
glass, etc.) to cut them into circles.
Garlic Chives
Shiitake Mushrooms
Celery
Chop finely into ⅛ to ¼-inch
(4 to 6-mm) pieces.
Dice as thoroughly
as you can.
It will take
effort …
… to get it
this fine.
Use the
leaves too!
Scallions
Chopping
Methods
Cut both the green
and white parts.
10
Cabbage
Pork Loin
Pork Belly
Don’t use ground
meat. Get it fresh
and cut it down to
⅛ to ¼-inch (3 to
6-mm) pieces.
Use your kitchen
knife to mince it
further.
Don’t let it
dry out.
Whether you cut carefully or sloppily
will not affect the taste.
11
Meat &
Vegetable
Filling
[For 25 Pieces]
(about 2 cups / 400 g total)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Use about 2 teaspoons of the meat-vegetable
mix in each dumpling.
Mix 1 cup (200 g) of the Chopped Meat Filling
(see opposite) with:
½ cup (25 g) chopped green onions (scallions)
⅓ cup (25 g) chopped garlic chives
¼ cup (25 g) chopped celery
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (50 g) finely chopped green cabbage
2 shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted if
dried, chopped fine
Add the meat, then
mix in the vege-
tables. The ratio
should be about 1:1.
Preparing
Your Fillings
12
[For 25 Pieces]
(about 2 cups / 400 g total)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Use a heaping tablespoon (about ¾ oz / 20 g)
of meat mixture per dumpling.
6 oz (175 g) pork belly, finely chopped
6 oz (175 g) pork loin, minced to ⅛ to ¼ inch (3–6 mm)
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chicken broth
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
or sake
Chopped
Meat Filling
Basic Gyoza Dipping Sauce
While just a sprinkling of salt allows the gyoza’s flavor to shine brightest,
dipping sauce options are infinite. A good traditional sauce is composed
of soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil, plus other optional ingredients.
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
⅛ teaspoon hot chili oil (optional)