Crisp-bottomed and packed with savoury flavour, these crispy gyoza are a brilliant example of the steam-fry method done properly. A juicy pork and prawn filling is wrapped in delicate gyoza skins, then cooked until perfectly crisp underneath and tender on top. Served with a simple dipping sauce, they make an impressive starter or a satisfying main to share.

Prep: 30 minutes + another 30 minutes (minimum) resting time Cook: 10 minutes per batch Serves: 4 as a starter / 2 as a main

Ingredients

• Makes 30!
• 250g pork mince, ideally 20% fat
• 150g raw prawns, peeled and roughly chopped - not blitzed, you want texture
• 100g white cabbage, very finely shredded and salted
• 3 spring onions, very finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 15g fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 30 round gyoza skins
• 2 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
• 70ml cold water
• For the dipping sauce
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp aged rice vinegar
• ½ tsp chilli oil
  

Instructions

1. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can, toss with a generous pinch of salt and leave for 10 minutes. Then take it in both hands and squeeze firmly over the sink until no more liquid comes out. Wet cabbage ruins the filling - this step matters more than it looks.
2. Combine the pork mince, chopped prawns, squeezed cabbage, spring onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing rice wine, white pepper and cornflour in a large bowl. Mix with your hands for two minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive - you'll feel the texture change. Cover and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, an hour if you have it.
3. Stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chilli oil, sugar and ginger until the sugar dissolves. Taste, adjust the vinegar or chilli to your preference and set aside.
4. Lay a skin on your palm and place a level teaspoon of filling in the centre. Wet the edge with a damp finger, fold in half over the filling and pleat firmly along the curve - five or six pleats per gyoza. Press each one gently on a flat surface afterwards to flatten the base. Full contact with the pan is what builds an even crust.

5. Heat your Haptiq chef pan or sauté pan to medium and add the oil. Place the gyoza flat base down in a single layer and leave them completely alone for 3 minutes until the base is a deep, even gold. Reduce to medium-low, pour the cold water carefully along the side of the pan and place the lid on immediately. Leave for 2 to 3 minutes without lifting it. Remove the lid, bring the heat back to medium and listen for the sizzle to return as the base crisps back up - around 45 to 60 seconds. Slide onto a warm plate base-up and serve immediately.