Gyoza

We can all agree that dumplings have to be one of the most comforting dishes out there. These part fried, part steamed Japanese gyoza are so simple and easy to make. If you feel like going the extra mile, make the wrappers from scratch too - you won't regret it. Recipe below...

Ingredients:

Wrappers:

125g / 1 cup plain flour

125g / 1 cup bread flour

0.5 tsp salt

125ml / 0.5 cup boiling hot water

1 tbsp neutral tasting oil

Filling:

350g pork mince (if there is a time to buy pork mince from a butcher, do it for this recipe - it will really make a difference here) 150g napa cabbage (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 inch knob of ginger (peeled) 2 spring onions (finely chopped)

Small bunch of chives (finely chopped) 4 shittake mushrooms (finely copped)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp sake (if you do not have this, vermouth is a good substitute)

Pinch of salt

Few grinds of black pepper

Method:

Wrappers:

1. In a bowl, mix together the plain flour, bread flour and salt. Add the boiling water and oil, and stir until crumbly. Once all incorporated, squish the crumbled dough into a ball, cover in cling film and leave to rest for 45 minutes. This resting time allows the flour to fully hydrate and makes kneading easier, later on.

2. Once rested, knead the dough for a few minutes until nice and smooth. Wrap the dough back up and leave to rest for another 30 minutes.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, divide into two and flatten with a rolling pin until around 1mm thick. With an 8cm diameter cookie cutter, cut out the dumpling wrappers.

4. Place onto a lightly floured baking sheet (using cornflour) and cover until ready to use. These can also be frozen - place each wrapper in between lightly floured parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Gyoza:

1. Mix all of the filling ingredients in a bowl. Do not over-mix as the meat will be tough when eating the dumpling.

2. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the centre of a wrapper. Dip your finger into some water and rub this around the perimeter of the wrapper. Fold in half and crimp the edges 4 times, starting in the middle, working your way to the edge. You will end up with a total of 8 crimps along the dumpling.

3. Add some neutral oil to a frying pan on a medium-high heat. In batches, add the gyozas to the pan. Fry for a few minutes until golden and crisp on the bottom. Add some water to the pan and cover with a lid. Steam for around 3 minutes, until the filling has cooked through. Remove the lid from the pan and let any excess water evaporate. Add some sesame oil to the pan and re-crisp the bottom of the gyozas before serving.

To Serve:

Once fried, steamed and crisped, serve the gyozas with a simple dipping sauce of your choice. I like to eat them with Rayu (a Japanese chilli oil) or soy sauce. Enjoy!