tiggerprr’s scratching post

Greetings fellow closet chefs! Today, I’m going to share a Japanese recipe that I learned from watching my mom when I was a kid. It’s so yummy and seemingly one of the most memorable dishes I make. My ex-husband came for Ashlyn’s birthday, and he sheepishly requested that I make some. I did, because I’m nice like that…and he and his wife happily ate the heck out of them. Mmmmm…maybe I’ll have to make some more soon. These are similar to Pan Fried Dumplings that you might find in a Chinese Restaurant, but better. hehe
Please note, that I do this by sight and smell usually however, I’m trying to make a formal recipe for your use.

Gyoza

1 pkg of wonton wrappers (small squares)
1/2-3/4 pounds ground meat (I usually use beef or pork, both are equally tasty, pork gives a softer texture)
2-3 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 head of green cabbage (the normal kind, not the chinese kind)
vegetable oil
water

In a chopper, or by hand, chop the cabbage so it’s REALLY finely chopped without becoming sludge. If using fresh garlic cloves and using a chopping gadget, toss the whole garlic cloves in there too to save time and it’ll blend nicely.

In a bowl, mix together the cabbage, garlic, salt and pepper until well blended.

Get a small bowl of water to use for “sealing” the wonton wrappers. Take a wrapper, put a small amount (about 3/4 tsp) of the meat mixture in the center, dip your finger in the water and paint two sides the inner wrapper and then fold over to form a triangle, sealing in the meat. Make two tiny folds in the sides to crimp the sides together.

Repeat this step until all the dumplings are made. There’s usually 45-50 of them in each package of wonton wrappers. I usually use a platter and wax paper to separate the layers.

You can deep fry these approx 1-2 mins per side until they are golden brown if you like them crunchy. Drain on paper towels.

Alternatively, you can do a pan fried method. Both ways are tasty and I choose my cooking method based on time (deep fry is faster) and eating preferences.

For Pan Frying: I use an electric skillet or a large pan w/cover for pan frying. Heat oil in the pan. Put a layer gyoza in the pan and fry on high heat for a min until the bottoms become brown. Turn over the gyoza, add a very small amount water to the pan to create steam. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for a few minutes.

Serve with rice, if desired. I use plain soy sauce for dipping however, you can also make a special gyoza dipping sauce by mixing soy sauce with a little seasame oil.

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That was a little more complicated sounding than it actually is. However, the end results are quite tasty, especially if you like Asian food.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 20th, 2006 at 2:13 pm and is filed under Memes, Recipes/Cooking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.