Pan Fried Dumplings Recipe

Panfried Dumplings

from Let's Cook Japanese Food by Amy Kaneko

Filling:

1/2 pound napa or green head cabbage, shredded and then finely chopped and squeezed between paper towels to remove excess moisture
3/4 pound ground pork
2 green onions, including tender green tops, minced.
3 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps minced
1/3 bunch fresh chives, minced
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sake
1 teaspoon soy sauce
About 50 round qyoza or other Asian dumpling wrappers, each about 3 inches in diameter (the thinnest ones you can find)
1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil for cooking each batch
2 tablespoons water for cooking each batch

Dipping Sauce:

Soy sauce
Rice vinegar
Hot chili oil

This and many other wonderful recipes may be found in
Let's Cook Japanese Food
by Amy Kaneko from Chronicle Books

When Shohei and I were living in Tokyo, all I ever had to do to get out of cooking dinner was to ask, "How about the gyoza place?" It was the one thing I knew could get him to agree to instantly. Tokyo's back alleys are filled with tiny little restaurants: the qyoza place was one of these. I couldn't ever find it on my own, and frankly, given the neighborhood of tiny bars hidden in small alleys, I probably wouldn't have gone there on my own anyway. But the cook made some of the best gyoza in town.

There is nothing tastier than a gyoza with a crispy bottom and a juicy filling, and if you like beer, these tasty dumplings and beer are natural mates. This is a basic recipe, but you can customize it by adding ingredients you like. Just be sure not to make the filling too wet. The dumplings are not difficult to make, but they are time-consuming to stuff and shape, so I recommend you make a whole lot (it is a great group activity!) and freeze them for a quick meal or appetizer.

To make the filling, in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, pork, green onions, mushrooms, chives, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, sake, and soy sauce. Using your hands, mix together just until thoroughly combined. Avoid handling the filling too much.

Place the stack of wrappers on a work surface and keep covered with a clean, damp kitchen towel or paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Holding a wrapper on the palm of one hand, place about 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. With a fingertip, swipe one-half of the edge of the wrapper with a little water, and then fold over the other edge to meet the dampened edge, enclosing the filling and pinching to seal securely. With your fingers, make 3 or 4 evenly spaced pleats along the sealed edge and place the dumpling, flat side down (the side opposite the pleats) on a sheet of waxed paper. Repeat until all the filling has been used up. (At this point you can freeze as many dumplings as you like: arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet, place in the freezer, and then transfer the frozen dumplings to a zippered plastic bag and return to the freezer for up to 1 month. Cook them directly from the freezer, allowing a few minutes longer cooking time when the pan is covered.)

To cook the dumplings, heat a frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the canola and sesame oils, swirl to coat the bottom of the pan with the oils, and allow them to heat. When a drop of water flicked into the pan sizzles instantly, arrange about 12 dumplings in the pan, lining them up neatly and placing them flat side down and pleated edge up. Cook undisturbed until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the water, then immediately cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook for a few minutes longer until all the water has evaporated and the dumplings are dark brown and a little crusty on the bottom.

To serve, slide a spatula under the dumplings, being careful not to tear the wrappers, and flip them browned-side up onto a large plate or platter, still lined up. For the dipping sauce, set out containers of soy sauce, vinegar, and hot chili oil. Provide each diner with a small dipping bowl to assemble a dip to taste.

Makes about 48 dumplings