Gyoza Steam (3) Recipe

Finely shred or mince the napa cabbage. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt, toss and let sit 5–10 minutes to draw out moisture.

After 5–10 minutes, squeeze the cabbage firmly in a clean towel or between your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard the liquid.

Mince the garlic and grate the ginger finely. Slice the green onions thinly (white and green parts).

In a large bowl combine ground pork, squeezed napa cabbage, green onions, garlic, ginger, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 egg and 1 tbsp cornstarch.

Mix the filling thoroughly using chopsticks or a spoon, turning and folding repeatedly until mixture becomes sticky and cohesive (about 1–2 minutes). This develops texture and helps filling bind.

Set up an assembly station: a small bowl of water for sealing, a working surface and the gyoza wrappers laid out under a damp towel to prevent drying.

Place one wrapper in your palm. Put about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling in the center (roughly 12–15 g). Be careful not to overfill.

Dip your finger in the bowl of water and moisten the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half to form a semicircle and press to seal in the center.

Create pleats along one side by folding small sections of the edge toward the center while pressing each pleat to seal firmly. Aim for 4–6 pleats. Ensure there are no gaps. Repeat until all wrappers are filled. You should have about 24 gyoza.

Heat a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp vegetable oil and swirl to coat the base.

Arrange gyoza in the skillet flat-side down (pleated side up) in a single layer, leaving a little space between each. Cook for 1–2 minutes without moving until bottoms are golden brown.

Carefully pour 150 ml water into the skillet — it will steam and sizzle — then immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid to trap steam.

Reduce heat to medium-low and steam for 5–6 minutes, or until water has evaporated and wrappers are translucent and filling is cooked through (pork should reach 71°C/160°F).

Remove lid and continue cooking 1–2 minutes to re-crisp the bottoms. If you want a delicate lacy skirt, mix 1 tbsp flour with 3 tbsp water and pour thinly around gyoza before covering; steam as directed to form a crispy wrapper lace.

Transfer gyoza to a serving plate using a spatula, pleated side up to keep crisp bottoms intact.

Whisk together 3 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp chili oil (or to taste). Stir in sliced green onion if using.

Serve sauce in small bowls alongside gyoza for dipping.