Perhaps the dish most associated with the word "dumpling," these pan-fried, pork-stuffed crescents possess a filling so flavorful, you needn't waste time on making the dough yourself. Click through to get step-by-step photos for making –– and pleating –– your homemade gyoza.
To start, whisk together the tangy ginger dipping sauce by combining soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and ginger in a small bowl and set it aside.
Porky and Promising
Next, prep the easy filling: Mix together ground pork, egg, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, scallion, soy sauce, vermouth, cornstarch, sugar and half a teaspoon of salt in a bowl and then refrigerate the filling for 20 minutes.
Wrap and Repeat
To form the gyoza, brush the edges of one dumpling wrapper with cool water using your finger or a small pastry brush. Place a mounded teaspoon of the pork filling in the center of the wrapper and spread it out into a football shape.
Pretty Pleats
Next, bring the edges of the wrapper together, resting the dumpling base on your work surface. Seal the edges by making four to six pleats on the side facing you and pressing the edges together. Keep in mind that only one side should be pleated. Set the finished gyoza aside, cover it with a damp paper towel and repeat the process with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Hot From the Skillet
To cook the gyoza, heat two tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Arrange the gyoza, bottom-side down in the skillet, and cook until they begin to brown on the bottom, about a minute. Add in 2/3 of a cup of water (be careful of spattering), cover the skillet tightly and let the gyoza cook until the skins are tender, about six more minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the gyoza are crisp and brown on the bottom. Serve the dumplings piping hot with plenty of ginger dipping sauce.
