Email
Print
FeedSep 12, 201210:21 AMFood & Dining
Tasty Tidbits and Food For Thought
Have a "Wrap Party" with these homemade Shrimp Gyoza
The Italians have ravioli. The Polish have pierogi. And the Japanese have gyoza.
Gyoza? What?
If you're not familiar with this term, you undoubtedly know this flavorful snack by it's pseudonym: pot sticker.
The point is, no matter where you are the on the map, it's likely the menu includes a little bundle of love in some format.
In Hollywood, you can hardly throw a stone without hitting a Japanese restaurant that serves gyoza. (Please don't go throwing stones to test this point.) However, if you're entertaining guests and want to impress them with a non-frozen hor d'oeuvre that they will love, these gyoza deserve a shot on your menu.
To make things easier on yourself, buy shrimp that have already been peeled and deveined. Chop the cabbage, scallions and ginger before the shrimp so you don't have to wash the cutting board more than once. Make the shrimp filling an hour in advance to let the flavors marry (and, let's face it, to be extra organized).
Pour yourself a glass of sake to make the wrapping more enjoyable. Or make it a "wrap party" by encouraging guests to help out. (Note: If you go this route, it's advisable to let guests know in advance that you're going to put them to work. That way they'll see it as fun. Or know to decline the invitation.)
No matter how you choose to prepare your gyoza, it's all but guaranteed that your guests will love these little bundles.
Shrimp Gyoza (yields 40-50 gyoza)
Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined and finely chopped
2 c Napa cabbage, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 t ginger, peeled and minced
2 t sake
1 t sesame oil
1 T water
1 ½ t cornstarch
½ t salt
dash of pepper
1 package of gyoza or won-ton wrappers
vegetable or canola oil for frying
Hot chili oil, ponzu sauce and/or soy sauce for serving
For filling:
Combine shrimp, cabbage, scallions, ginger, sake, sesame oil, water, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
To wrap:
Fill a cup with water, for wetting the edges of the wrappers.
Place the wrapper on a counter or work service. Wet the rim of the wrapper thoroughly (if too dry, edges may crack when folded).
Fill wrapper with ½ tablespoon of shrimp filling. Fold wrapper in half and pinch the wet edges together, squeezing out as much air as possible. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
To fry:
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil in a non-stick pan.
Arrange gyoza in one layer on the bottom of the pan. Cook on medium to medium-high until crisp and brown, about 3-5 minutes.
Add water to pan (about ½ cup for 10 gyoza or 1 cup for 20). Cover pan and turn heat to low.
Simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. (Pan will still appear wet, but that is the residual oil).
Remove lid and turn up heat to crisp the bottoms again, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and place browned side up on a plate.
Serve with hot chili oil, ponzu sauce or plain old soy sauce.
