Pork Gyoza

Method

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1. Toss the shredded cabbage with the salt and leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands. You should extract several tablespoons.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

2. Mix the pork with the soy sauce, sesame oil, sake, cornflour, garlic and ginger, stirring vigorously in one direction for 2 minutes until sticky and paste-like — this makes the filling bouncy rather than crumbly.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

3. Fold in the squeezed cabbage and spring onions. Chill for 20 minutes.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

4. Hold a wrapper in your palm, place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre and wet the top half of the rim.

   Mark done

5. Fold in half and pinch the centre closed, then make three or four pleats along one side only, pressing each against the flat back edge. Set on a floured tray with the seam upright so it sits flat.

   Mark done

6. Heat 1.5 tablespoons of oil in a lidded non-stick pan over medium-high. Arrange half the gyoza flat-side down in a tight spiral and fry undisturbed for 2 minutes until the bases are golden.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

7. Pour in 75 ml water, cover immediately, and steam for 5 minutes until the water has gone.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

8. Uncover and fry 1 to 2 minutes more until the bases are crisp and lacy. Slide out onto a plate, crisp side up.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

9. Repeat with the rest. Serve with the vinegar, soy sauce and chilli oil stirred together as a dipping sauce.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Fry one test gyoza before wrapping the batch so you can adjust the seasoning of the raw filling.
• Keep the wrappers under a damp cloth; they dry out and crack within minutes of exposure.
• Freeze uncooked gyoza on the tray, then bag them. Cook from frozen, adding 2 minutes to the steaming stage.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the chilli in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Cold beer or a dry sake
• Serve as a starter before ramen
• Follow with a citrus sorbet

Storage & Reheating

Uncooked gyoza freeze 2 months. Cooked ones keep 2 days; re-crisp in a dry pan rather than microwaving.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.