Chefs' Recipes

Yoko Dining's mushroom gyoza

A vegetarian-friendly take on the Japanese dumplings

By Jonathan Barthelmess & Kitak Lee
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 20 mins cooking
  • Serves 4 - 6, Makes 30 dumplings
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Sean Moran's mushrooms on toast
"We wanted to focus on using good ingredients and doing gyozas that set us apart from the standard ones everyone buys," says Jonathan Barthelmess of Yoko Dining. "We make two or three different types of gyoza daily at the restaurant with a seasonal focus." Start this recipe one day ahead to soak the shiitake.

Ingredients

  • 100 gm white cabbage, cut into 5mm dice
  • 125 gm bean sprouts, finely sliced
  • 40 gm dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water overnight, drained and cut into 5mm dice
  • 25 gm (¼ cup) garlic chives, thinly sliced
  • 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
  • 1½ tbsp tapioca starch
  • 1 tbsp kombu tsuyu (see note), to serve
  • 1½ tsp finely minced ginger
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 30 round gyoza skins (see note)
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • Sesame chilli oil (see note), to serve
Citrus ponzu
  • 80 ml (⅓ cup) Japanese rice vinegar (see note)
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tsp fresh lemon juice

Method

  • 1
    Blanch cabbage and bean sprouts in boiling water until just wilted (20-30 seconds), then refresh in iced water, strain and drain well. Combine remaining ingredients (except gyoza skins, vegetable oil and sesame chilli oil) and ¼ tsp fine salt in a bowl.
  • 2
    To shape gyoza, hold a wrapper in the palm of your hand. Place slightly less than 1 tbsp filling in the centre, wet lightly around the outside of the wrapper then fold in half. Using your thumb and index finger, make pleats every 1cm from the middle out to each edge, then pinch to seal. Place on small squares of baking paper.
  • 3
    Steam gyoza, in batches, in a steamer over a wok of simmering water (5-6 minutes). You can serve gyoza as is, or shallow-fry one side in vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until crisp (2-4 minutes).
  • 4
    For citrus ponzu, combine ingredients in a bowl. Serve gyoza with ponzu and a few drops of sesame chilli oil.

Notes

Note Kombu tsuyu, gyoza skins, sesame chilli oil and Japanese rice vinegar are available from Japanese food stores.
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Wine suggestion Domaine Bobinet Les Gruches Chenin Blanc, Loire Valley, France. Wine suggestion by Nick Ingall.