Gyoza are bite-size dumplings, brought to Japan by the Chinese, filled with finely chopped or minced fish, meat, tofu and/or vegetables. If you’ve had them in a restaurant, you may have enjoyed them as a starter, five or six stuck together in a row so you have to use your chopsticks to tease them apart.
With our recipes, the filling is seasoned with salt, pepper and sugar to complement the plain taste of the dough. The base of each piece is golden brown because they’ve been pan-fried first, bottom-side down, and this provides a pleasing contrast to the rest of the soft outer layer. Also fondly known as pot-stickers, they make the perfect snack or yaki (bar food). When the dough is shaped differently into little parcels, they may be poached gently in a broth for soups and ramen (called Sui), and when they’re deep-fried in an Izakaya bar, they’re called Age.
The little dim sum in this chapter, also inspired by Chinese traditions, are open to show off the filling, and steamed in bamboo baskets over a pan of simmering water. They cook gently until the dough is soft and the minced filling is still tender. If you can’t get hold of a basket, you can create the same effect by lining a heatproof colander with baking parchment to sit the little portions onto. They’re best eaten as soon as they’re made so that the dough doesn’t have a chance to turn soggy, and it’s worth trying a dot of chilli oil in a little bowl of soy sauce to really lift the flavours.