Dumplings are found in the cuisine of many cultures. One of my favorite are gyoza (pot stickers). One day I had made some gyoza and decided to see what they'd be like deep fried. They turned out delicious.
Gyoza can be made with many different fillings, pork being the most common. They're easier to make than you might think, and can be either steamed or fried. I suspect that you could bake them as well, although I haven't tried that. Yet...
They make a nice side or main part to a meal, and in addition to using the traditional Asian pork fillings, I like to make them with Italian sausage, ground pork with Mexican style seasonings, or minced chicken meat. With a little bit of practice you'll find that making these little dumplings is dead easy. All you need is a filling and gyoza wrappers. Gyoza wrappers are round, whereas won ton wrappers are square. Most grocery stores carry both, but some only carry the won ton wrappers. You can use won ton wrappers instead of the gyoza wrappers, just cut them into circles. One of the things that make gyoza different from won ton is the shape. A half moon with pleats along the edge. The dough used for won ton may be a little different, but it'll work fine for either steaming or frying as long as you cut the squares into circles.
How many to make will be up to you. If I'm having them as an appetizer or side, I'll make 6 per person. If it's the main dish, 12. Figure on about 1 mounded teaspoon of filling per dumpling.
You can also make lots of these (gyoza usually come 200 wrappers per pack) and freeze them for later. When freezing, I like to use a sheet or baking pan to hold the dumplings until frozen solid. I just place them on the sheet or in the baking pan in layers separated by freezer paper or plastic wrap. Once frozen solid, they can be transferred to freezer bags or air tight containers for storage in the freezer. Cook frozen dumplings by adding to the oil without thawing. Gyoza wrappers can also be frozen prior to filling. You'll want to thaw them before using, which can be a bit of a hassle, so I prefer to make the dumplings and freeze them instead of just freezing the wrappers.
Fried Dumplings Italian Style
Ingredients -
Italian sausage (mild, hot, or sweet)
Gyoza wrappers
Small container of warm water
Oil for frying (corn, canola, etc.)
Method -
Place a wrapper on your work surface and put a teaspoon full of the filling in the center. Be careful not to over fill them as you'll wind up breaching or tearing the wrapper when you fold it over and make the pleats.
Dip your finger into the water and wet the edge of the wrapper, then fold it over the filling and seal the edges by pressing them together. As you do this, make sure to press out any air pockets. Then fold the edge into pleats. I usually just do 3 pleats. This adds to the appearance of the dumpling as well as making sure the edge is sealed.
Once the dumplings are all made, put 1/2" of oil in a skillet and heat on medium high until the oil begins to shimmer*, then add the dumplings, laying them on their side, and fry until golden brown (just a few minutes). Flip them over and fry the other side until golden brown. Rremove to a paper towel to drain. Continue until all the dumplings are done.
Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
*If you're using a deep fryer, heat your oil to 375° F.
All content including images © Joanne Rigutto unless otherwise noted.
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