Japanese🥩 Meat

Japanese Gyoza with Crispy Skirt

Name: Japanese Gyoza with Crispy Skirt
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 50 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: ~½ head Chinese cabbage (napa cabbage); 500 g pork mince; ~3-4 cloves garlic; ~1 tbsp ginger; ~2-3 stalks spring onions; ~1½ tbsp sake; ~2 tbsp soy sauce; ~1 tsp sugar; ~¼ tsp white pepper; ~24-30 round wheat flour dumpling wrappers (premade); 1 cup water; 1½ tbsp potato starch or cornstarch; ~2-3 tbsp neutral oil; ~1½ tbsp sesame oil; ~2 tbsp soy sauce; ~1½ tbsp rice vinegar; ~½ tsp chili oil

⏱ 50 min🍽 Serves 50

Originally adapted from Chinese jiaozi dumplings, gyoza have become one of Japan's favourite foods. The main difference between Japanese gyoza and Chinese jiaozi is that while the Chinese version emphasizes a juicy, springy filling, the Japanese version focuses on a fine, crispy skin. This recipe yields about 50 dumplings and features the popular hanetsuki (wing) technique, creating a distinctive crispy skirt around the base.

Adapted from a video by Adam Liaw

Dumpling School #7 | Japanese Gyoza (including the "Skirt") | 餃子

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Chinese cabbage (napa cabbage)~½ headest.
pork minceshould have good fat content500 g
garlic~3-4 clovesest.
gingergrated, pulp can be left in~1 tbspest.
spring onions~2-3 stalksest.
sake~1½ tbspest.
soy sauce~2 tbspest.
sugar~1 tspest.
white pepper

Steps

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1
Chop the Chinese cabbage finely and scatter generously with salt. Mix and massage the salt through, then set aside for 20–30 minutes to allow the salt to draw out excess moisture from the vegetable.
2
Prepare the pork mince, ensuring it has good fat content. Add minced garlic.
3
Add grated ginger to the pork, leaving the pulp in if desired.
4
Stir in chopped spring onions, then add sake, soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper to taste. Do not add additional salt, as the cabbage will provide the necessary seasoning.
5
Pour the rested cabbage into a fine sieve and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then add the drained cabbage to the pork filling.
6
Gently stir all ingredients together in one direction until evenly combined. Unlike Chinese dumplings, do not over-mix, since the focus of Japanese gyoza is on the skin rather than the springiness of the filling.
7
Prepare your premade dumpling wrappers and have water ready for sealing the edges. Moisten the wrapper edges with water and place a small amount of filling in the centre.
8
Pinch the dumpling closed on one side, then create pleats along the top half of the wrapper. Press firmly at the very top to ensure the double layer of premade skin is properly sealed.
9
Prepare the steaming liquid by mixing potato starch or cornstarch with water and stirring until completely dissolved. This mixture will create the characteristic crispy skirt around the dumplings.
10
Use a non-stick or well-seasoned carbon steel pan over medium-low heat. Add a small amount of oil and arrange the dumplings in the pan with space between each one.
11
When the bottoms are lightly browned, pour in the starch mixture to about halfway up the dumplings, stirring to ensure even distribution. Cover with a lid and steam for approximately 6 minutes.
12
Remove the lid and watch as the skirt forms around the dumplings. When it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, drizzle in sesame oil to help the skirt brown and add flavour.
13
Cook for another minute to achieve a dark brown colour on the skirt. Give the pan a gentle shake to ensure nothing is stuck, then invert onto a plate that fits the pan opening, turning the gyoza out with the skirt facing up.
14
Plate the gyoza and prepare a dipping sauce by mixing soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a touch of chili oil. Serve immediately.

Japanese Gyoza with Crispy Skirt

Ingredients

Steps

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