Pork and vegetable gyozas

Makes 40 Starters and mains

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Method

Make the filling of your choice for the two options as below in advance.

To make the dough, mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in 200ml hot water and mix with chopsticks or a fork until the dough has the texture of a crumble topping.

Once the dough has cooled slightly, knead by hand until the crumbs can be combined and form a ball. Place on a work surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is completely smooth, then make a ball, working the folds with your fingers to smooth the ball.

Turn the dough upside down with the closed side underneath. Wrap in a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature. Halve the ball and make into 2 logs, then cut each log into 20 small pieces. Cover the dough to prevent it drying out while you work.

On a work surface floured with potato starch or cornflour, flatten each piece with your hand. Then hold the dough with your left hand and the rolling pin with your right hand. Roll once, turn the dough 90 degrees, roll again, turn the dough 90 degrees again, and so on until you form a nice round shape. The centre of the round must be thicker (2mm) than the edges (1mm). Flour both sides with starch or cornflour and set aside under a tea towel. Repeat the process with all the pieces of dough.

Have a small bowl of water to hand. Put 1tsp filling in the centre of each gyoza wrapper and wet the edge of the wrapper with your finger. To close the gyoza, fold the wrapper in half over the filling and press the middle of the two edges between your thumb and middle finger.

Between the pinched middle and one side, fold to form a pleat and continue sealing the dough between your two index fingers, pinching to the end. Repeat to seal the other side. You should get five or six pleats. Make sure they are tightly sealed, especially if you are using the boiling method of cooking. Transfer each gyoza to a plate and press lightly to flatten the bottom.

To pan fry, bring 100ml water to the boil. Oil a large frying pan (with an airtight lid) with 1tbsp neutral oil using a piece of kitchen paper and heat over a medium heat. Brown the underside of the gyozas, making sure they don’t touch, cooking in batches using a little more oil each time if necessary. Then pour the boiling water into the pan, cover and cook the gyoza for 7 to 8 minutes over a medium-low heat. If the water evaporates before the end of cooking, add a little more.

Remove the lid and drizzle 1tsp toasted sesame oil over the gyozas and cook for 1 minute until the bottom of the gyozas are nicely golden. Alternatively, bring a large pan of water to the boil, then drop the gyozas in. Once they rise to the surface, leave to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then drain. Serve alongside pickled veg and your preferred
dipping sauce.

FOR THE PORK GYOZA FILLING

Rehydrate the mushrooms by soaking in 300ml water for 3 hours. Drain, remove the stems and finely chop the mushroom caps.

Put the cabbage in a bowl with the salt, mix and leave for 20 minutes to disgorge, then squeeze with your hands to remove the excess water.

In another bowl, mix the pork with the garlic and ginger until it becomes paste-like. Mix in the cabbage and the onion, then stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Season with pepper, mix well and set aside in the fridge until ready to make the gyozas.

FOR THE VEGETABLE GYOZA FILLING

Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms by soaking in 300ml water for 3 hours. Drain, then remove the stems and finely chop the mushroom caps.

Coarsely grate the courgette using a box grater, season with the salt and leave for 15 minutes to disgorge, then squeeze with your hands to remove excess water. Coarsely grate the carrot using a box grater.

In a large pan of boiling water, blanch the cabbage for 1 to 2 minutes, remove and drain well by squeezing between your hands, then chop.

Heat the neutral oil, shallot, garlic and ginger in a frying pan. When the aromas start to release, add the courgette and carrot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the carrot is cooked. Add the cabbage and shiitake mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, nutritional yeast, sugar, sesame oil and starch or cornflour, mix and allow to cool completely.