Pork Gyoza

Ingredients

• 225 g (8 oz) Ground (minced) pork
• 170 g (6 oz) Napa or green cabbage, very finely chopped
• 1 tsp Fine salt, for the cabbage
• 2 Garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, finely grated
• 3 Spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce, for the filling
• 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp Cornstarch (cornflour)
• 24 Round gyoza wrappers
• 2 tbsp Neutral oil, for frying
• 120 ml (½ cup) Water, for steaming, plus a little for sealing
• 3 tbsp Soy sauce, for the dipping sauce
• 1 tbsp Rice vinegar, for the dipping sauce
• 1 tsp Chilli oil, for the dipping sauce, optional

You’ll need: Large non-stick frying pan with a lid, Small bowl of water for sealing, Baking tray

Method

1. 1

   Salt the cabbage. Toss the cabbage with the salt and leave it for 10 minutes. Squeeze it in your fist or a clean tea towel to wring out as much liquid as you can. This keeps the filling from going watery.

2. 2

   Mix the filling. In a bowl, combine the pork, squeezed cabbage, garlic, ginger, spring onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. Mix well with your hand for a minute, until the filling feels sticky and holds together.

3. 3

   Fill and fold. Put a level teaspoon of filling in the centre of a wrapper. Wet the edge with a fingertip of water, fold in half and press the middle together. Make 4 or 5 small pleats along the front edge, pressing each to the back edge to seal fully. Stand the gyoza on a tray, flat side down, and cover with a damp cloth while you finish the rest.

4. 4

   Fry the bases. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Arrange half of the gyoza flat-side down, side by side, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bases are deep golden.

5. 5

   Steam. Pour in half of the water and cover straight away, as it will spit. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the water has almost gone and the wrappers look translucent. Remove the lid and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the bases are crisp again. Cut one open to check the pork is cooked through, with no pink, or check that the filling reaches 71°C (160°F).

6. 6

   Repeat and serve. Lift the gyoza out onto a plate, wipe out the pan and cook the second batch the same way. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and chilli oil for dipping, and serve the gyoza hot, crisp-side up.