The guy at the counter is unfazed by my request for a third batch of gyoza, the plump pouches of porcine joy he’s been cooking all evening and, for all I know, his entire life. The seats are uncomfortable, his kitchen could do with a damn good scrub and I invariably burn my mouth on the blistering little parcels, but I return time and again to this Formica counter in Fukuoka, with its fug of frying and cigarette smoke. I arrive all the more hungry from my inability to remember its precise location. “Near the bridge” is the useless annotation in my notebook. Fukuoka is a city of bridges.
I make these little Japanese dumplings at home, too, picking up the round wrappers from my local Chinese grocers and stashing them in the freezer, stuffing each parcel with a mixture of minced pork or prawns. This time I make two stuffings, one of minced prawns with lemongrass and another, a garlicky stuffing made from mushrooms, chard and spring onions. Neither is authentic, just delicious in that way gyoza so often are, especially when they become really crisp on the bottom, living up to the name “potstickers”.
What makes them addictive is not only the bottom crust and soft, silky sides but also their dips, the piquant potions of rice wine vinegar, mirin, soy and sometimes sesame. I like the fact that they vary slightly with each establishment, but you do learn not to go early in the day, when the cooking can be a little timid. The cook, like the eater, needs to get into the swing of it.
Prawn gyoza with ginger and lemongrass
Makes 18 (Serves 2-3)
shelled prawns 200g
coriander 4 tbsp, chopped
spring onions 2
groundnut oil 2 tbsp
ginger a 50g knob
lemongrass 2 stalks
gyoza wrappers 18
For the dip:
ponzu sauce 3 tbsp
mirin 2 tbsp
rice wine 2 tbsp
Put the shelled prawns into the bowl of a food processor, together with the chopped coriander. Process briefly.
Remove the tough, dark section of the spring onions, then finely slice the white and pale green part. Warm the oil in a shallow pan over a moderate heat, add the spring onions and let them soften. Peel the ginger then finely grate it. Remove and discard the tough end of the stalks and the outer leaves of the lemongrass. Finely shred the inner leaves and add them to the pan. Stirring regularly, add the grated ginger, prawns and coriander and shredded lemongrass, and some salt and pepper. Let the mixture cook for 3-4 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Take one of the gyoza wrappers, place it flat on the work surface, then place 1 heaped tsp of the mixture in the middle. Brush a little water around the edge of the wrapper (I use my fingertips) then draw the edges together to make a little semi-circular parcel – like a tiny pasty.
Press the edges tightly together to seal, pinching them as you go. Place the gyoza flat side down on a tray. Continue with the rest of the wrappers and mixture. You should make about 18 little parcels. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking.
Have a kettle of hot water ready. Warm a little oil in a heavy-based, shallow pan. Lay the gyoza flat side down and leave for 7-10 minutes, until the base is golden and lightly crisp. Pour in a splash of water and cover with a lid so the sides of each parcel steam, but without colour.
While the gyoza cook, make the dip. Mix the ponzu, mirin and rice wine together and pour into a bowl. Serve the gyoza hot, with the dip.
Mushroom and chard gyoza
Finely chopped and sautéed, chard stems make a delicious addition to a stuffing for cannelloni or pancakes. They also work in dumplings.
Makes 18
spring onions 4
garlic 2 cloves
chard stalks 75g
groundnut or vegetable oil 2 tbsp
button mushrooms 75g
sake a little
gyoza wrappers 18
For the dip:
sesame seeds 15g
mirin 2 tbsp
rice vinegar 2 tbsp
caster sugar 1 tsp
soy sauce 3 tsp
sesame oil ½ tsp
Finely chop the spring onions, discarding any very dark green leaves. Peel and crush the garlic and add to the spring onion. Finely chop the chard stalks and add them to the onion. Warm the oil in a saucepan then stir in the chard stalks, spring onion and garlic and let them cook for 10 minutes, partially covered by a lid, until all is soft and sweet.
Finely chop the mushrooms. I find this easiest in a food processor. Stir the mushrooms into the vegetables and let them cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
Fill the wrappers as in the recipe above. You should make about 18 little parcels. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking.
To cook, warm a little oil in a heavy based, shallow pan. Place the gyoza flat side down and leave them for 7-10 minutes or so, until the base is golden and lightly crisp. Pour a few splashes of sake into the pan, then cover with a lid on top so the sides of each parcel cook, but without colour.
Make the dip. Toast the sesame seeds for a couple of minutes in a dry, shallow pan. When deep gold in colour, tip them into a small bowl, add the mirin, rice vinegar, sugar, soy and sesame oil and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Serve the gyoza, hot from the pan, together with the dip.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @NigelSlater