Filling Instructions

1.  Remove the hard base of the Napa Cabbage and finely mince, first by cutting the leaves into small strips, and then by mincing.  Add finely minced green onion and set aside in a bowl by itself.

2.  Add the 1 1/2 Tablespoons Salt to the Napa Cabbage and green onion, mix well, and let sit for 5 minutes.

3.  After 5 minutes, squeeze the excess liquid from the Cabbage and Green Onion mixture using your hands, and transfer to a different bowl or strainer.  Set aside the mixture and discard the liquid.

4.  Remove the brown skin from a 1-2" piece of ginger, and very finely mince or grate.  Do the same thing to the garlic.  Set aside.

5.  Finely dice the Shitake mushrooms, place in a bowl, and add the ground chicken, soy sauce, sake, vegetable oil, black pepper, ginger, and garlic.  Mix well.

6.  Add the sesame oil and cabbage/onion to the chicken mixture, then mix well with your hands.  This is your gyoza filling!

*note: you can adjust the filling ingredients to suit your taste, but this is basically what you need to do.*

Forming the Gyoza

*This is how I do it, but feel free to set it up however you like.  It helps to recruit a friend to assist you!*

1.  Set up a cookie sheet with wax paper, a plate with the gyoza skins, a small bowl of water, and a plate for you to catch filling that falls out of the wrappers.

2.  Place one gyoza wrapper in your hand, take roughly 1 tablespoon of filling, and place it in the center of the gyoza wrapper.

3.  Dip one finger into the bowl with water, and wipe it on the wrapper around your filling.

4.  Quickly fold the wrapper around the filling, and press in the middle, keeping both index fingers on each side of the connection you just made.  Then make 3-4 folds using your thumbs by pressing on the wrapper while slowly pulling out your index finger.  Do this on both sides, and you should end up with a slight crescent moon shape.  If this is too complicated, you can also make a tri-fold by pressing on the middle of the wrapper, and making one fold on each side towards the center.  You get what looks like two triangle folds pointing towards each other on one side of the gyoza.

5.  Place your finished gyoza on the cookie sheet, and keep going until either your filling or your gyoza skins are used up.  Adjust the amount of filling you put in each gyoza until you find an amount that makes it easy for you to fold.  Make sure the gyoza don't touch on the cookie sheet, otherwise they will stick to each other.

Cooking the Gyoza

1.  In a non-stick frying pan that has a lid, heat about a tablespoon of oil on medium to medium-high heat, then add the gyoza, keeping them separate but lined up.  I usually do 6-8 in two rows.

2.  Pan fry until golden brown on the bottom, quickly add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water, and place the lid on to let them steam.

3.  When most of the water is gone (after about 3-5 minutes), take the lid off and let the gyoza crisp up again on the bottom.

4.  Eat!

*Super secret hint: Mix about 1 tablespoon of flour or potato starch (if you have it) and a pinch of salt to the water before you steam the gyoza.  It will steam the gyoza, but then pan fry it until it turns golden brown.  Your gyoza will be done at this point.  The flour/water mixture turns into a delicious, crunchy addition, with a lacy appearance around the gyoza.  I could eat just this all by itself!  It takes a couple tries to get it right, but when you do, you'll amaze yourself.  Adjust the amount of flour/starch until you don't get a gloopy mess! You'll know what I'm talking about... don't worry though, just keep cooking it and it should eventually crisp up.*

Gyoza Sauce

Just mix soy sauce and rice vinegar in about equal parts with a touch of hot chili oil until you get something you like.  At restaurants in Japan and China, you get all three at the table and you mix it how you like it in a little dish.