I don’t know about you, but I had a marvelous morning today. I woke up, refreshed after a deep sleep, with an urge to cook. The sun is shining, the sky is a bright, crisp autumn blue (even though the temperature is still rather warm) and it is Friday. Who could ask for anything better than that?
As promised, I am beginning my posts on the birthday party menu I put together last weekend. Scallop and Corn Gyoza is recipe #1! Well, #2, since I already posted the lemon curd and espresso chocolate ganache mini pies… Anyway, get excited to make some amazing gyoza! The flavors worked together perfectly. The sweetness from the corn and the scallops along with the salty flavor of soy sauce and the nutty toasted sesame oil created a perfect filling for these delicious gyoza.
Gyoza are a form of dumpling that possess immense popularity in Japan. There is something about these little half moons that is completely addicting. I wonder if it is the filling, the pasta-like wrapper, or the combination of textures that keeps hubs and I coming back for more. I would venture to say it is all of those things rather than just one… We always seem to polish off a plate of gyoza in what seems like seconds.
Gyoza are often filled with ground pork, cabbage, chinese chives, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. I found that the recipe can be quite versatile if you stick with the basics. Pretty much just remove the pork and substitute other meats, fish or veggies in its place. To maintain the traditional gyoza flavors, it helps to keep the remaining ingredients consistent. But hey, who says you can’t do whatever you want? NOT ME! Experiment away!
I have read many recipes that call for the addition of corn starch/flour. I have not once had a successful batch of gyoza when adding this ingredient. I don’t like it. So I don’t do it. *Until I used Andrea Nguyen’s recipe for Gyoza in her brilliant cookbook Asian Dumplings! I get the idea behind it, but it really isn’t imperative to have corn starch in the filling. That’s just me…
Typically, gyoza are served with a traditional sauce often made with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. However, with the unique filling for my gyoza, I thought an equally unique dipping sauce was in order.
My sriracha dipping sauce is so easy: Mix 1/3 cup sambal with 1/3 cup plain yogurt. Sounds like an odd combination, I know. I have heard of mixing sambal with mayonnaise, but to make the dip healthier I used plain yogurt. Sriracha is pretty spicy, so the yogurt also helped to add creaminess and make the sauce a little more mild.
You can serve the gyoza steamed or pan fried. Brad prefers them to be pan fried (and so do I) but they are also delicious steamed. After several attempts, I have found that regardless of how they are prepared, they must be steamed before pan frying. This helps to soften the wrappers and cook the filling all the way through without burning the gyoza.
I hope you enjoy these delicious bites! What other variations do you know of for gyoza? I would love to hear your ideas!
Scallop and Corn Gyoza
Makes 36-40 gyoza
1 package of about 40 gyoza/wonton wrappers
1/3 lb (or about 4 large) Sea scallops, chopped
1/4 head Nappa Cabbage, thinly sliced
1 ear fresh corn, cut off the cob, not cooked (note: do NOT use frozen corn. It has too much extra liquid in it and it will not taste good inside the gyoza…yuck!)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chinese chives
1 clove garlic
1 inch piece ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, chives, corn and scallops. In a small bowl, combine the grated ginger and garlic along with the soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Whisk to combine.
Pour the liquid mixture over the scallop and veggie mixture. Stir to coat the ingredients. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Using a teaspoon, scoop a small spoonful of the filling into the center of the gyoza wrappers. Fold the wrapper around the filling and use a fork to seal the edges.
Place the gyoza in a steamer and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Work in batches, placing the steamed gyoza on a plate. You may end the cooking process here, or continue reading for instructions on pan frying.
To pan fry:
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Place the gyoza in the pan and fry for 2 minutes or until the bottom is brown and crisp. Reduce the heat and add 1/4 cup water. Cover the pan and allow the gyoza to steam in the pan (this ensures the wrappers are tender and soft rather than chewy). Transfer the gyoza to a plate and serve with Sriracha Dipping Sauce (recipe below.)
Sriracha Dipping Sauce
Makes 2/3 cup
2 tablespoons sriracha
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Done!
