Hanetsuki Gyoza (Dumplings with “Wings”)

Active Time:

1 hr 45 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 45 mins

Servings:

Yield:

56 to 64 gyoza

Making gyoza can be a bit of a production but for chef Sylvan Mishima Brackett, it’s always worth it. As a child, his favorite food was his mother’s gyoza and he wasn’t alone. “My mother’s gyoza were locally famous,” he says. But when it came time to make gyoza for his San Francisco restaurant, Rintaro, Brackett put his own spin on his mother’s dumplings. “The gyoza that we serve at our restaurant are larger than most Japanese gyoza, with handmade wrappers and the addition of ‘chicken foot jelly,’” he says. “This is simply a very gelatin-rich chicken stock that, when chilled, turns to a solid aspic that we fold into the meat mixture. As with Chinese soup dumplings, this gelled stock melts as you cook the gyoza, and bursts out when you bite into the gyoza.” While this method takes additional time, every bite is worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are gyoza?

Gyoza are Japanese dumplings typically made with meat and vegetables folded into a thin dough, also known as a dumpling wrapper. Gyoza is the Japanese term for jiaozi, which is the term for Chinese dumplings.
What is the difference between gyoza, dumplings, and potstickers?

Dumplings is the overarching term for any stuffed parcel, including pierogi and ravioli. Potstickers are Chinese dumplings that are pan-fried, then steamed so they have a specific browned bottom with soft sides. Gyoza are Japanese crescent-shaped dumplings that are either fried, pan-fried or steamed. Gyoza can be cooked like potstickers, but also can be deep-fried or steamed.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Be sure to leave some space between each gyoza so the slurry has space to create that crispy crust. For an extra toasty “wing” add a little bit of sesame oil to the skillet during the end of the cooking process.

Make ahead

Freeze uncooked gyoza on a rimmed baking sheet, without them touching, until firm, about one hour. Transfer the gyoza to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. The gyoza can be cooked directly from frozen.

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Ingredients

Wrappers

4 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water (about 110°F), plus more as needed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

3/4 pound green cabbage, leaves separated
5 tablespoons chicken stock
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1 3/4 pounds ground pork (not lean)
2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon shoyu
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sake
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Additional Ingredients

5 cups water
7 1/2 teaspoons potato starch, divided, plus more for dusting
3 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral cooking oil, divided
Gyoza sauce
Chile oil

Directions

Prepare the Wrappers

Place flour, water, sesame oil, and salt in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment or in a large bowl. Beat with mixer on medium speed or combine with your hands until a dough forms; reduce mixer speed to low, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes in mixer or 10 to 15 minutes by hand. If dough isn’t coming together, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. (Dough should be hydrated, but this is a dry dough.) Cover bowl using plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the gluten to relax.
Prepare the Filling

While dough is resting, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high. Add cabbage leaves; cook, undisturbed, until leaves turn vibrant green and are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool enough to handle. Finely chop cabbage. Wrap cabbage in a kitchen towel, and squeeze well over a sink, removing as much water as possible.
Pour chicken stock into a small bowl, and sprinkle with gelatin; let stand until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is firm and jiggly (like Jell-O), about 5 minutes.
Stir together pork, shoyu, sake, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and jellied chicken stock in a large bowl, stirring well using your hands. Add chopped cabbage, scallions, ginger, garlic, and pepper, and stir well until combined. Refrigerate pork mixture until cold and firm, about 30 minutes.
Divide Wrapper dough evenly into 4 portions. Roll each dough portion into an 8-inch-long rope (about 1-inch thick). Cut each rope crosswise into pieces. Cover dough pieces using a damp paper towel. Working with 1 dough piece at a time, use both thumbs to press each piece into a disk on a work surface. Lightly dust disk with potato starch; using a small rolling pin, roll disk into a 3-inch round. Repeat process with remaining 14 dough pieces, stacking and covering Wrappers using plastic wrap to keep Wrappers from drying out. (Alternatively, if you have a hand-crank pasta machine, pass each disk of dough through rollers twice until you have a round that is 3 inches in diameter.)
Working with 1 Wrapper at a time, place about 1 heaping tablespoon of Filling in center of each Wrapper, spreading to within a 1/4-inch from edges. Use a finger dipped in water, moisten outer edge of Wrapper. Fold in half like a taco, but don’t press together to seal. Hold in your dominant hand; using thumb and index fingers of your dominant hand, pinch edge closest to you, and seal. Use thumb and forefinger of your nondominant hand to pleat 1 edge of dough, enclosing filling (taking care that no filling is squeezed out). Crimp seam until the end, making about 5 pleats, squeezing out any excess air as you go.
Whisk together water, potato starch, and flour until well combined. Heat a nonstick 10-inch skillet with 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium. Arrange 12 gyoza in skillet in a pinwheel design. Whisk water mixture well, and pour 1 cup water mixture over gyoza. Cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid; cook, undisturbed, over medium-high until most of water is evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. When oil begins to sizzle and edges turn brown, reduce heat to low; remove lid, and cook until water is completely evaporated and a lacey “wing” forms around gyoza round that is lightly browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a thin, flexible spatula, loosen outer edges of gyoza round from skillet. Lightly shake skillet until gyoza round is released. Place a plate over skillet, and carefully flip gyoza round onto plate. Repeat process with remaining gyoza, water mixture, and canola oil. Serve with gyoza sauce and chile oil.