Lamb and Coriander Gyoza

Hard to place, great to taste.

Coriander and cumin….are they Middle Eastern? Szechuan pepper….Chinese? Whatever, they’re very oishii. Maybe the best yet. Lamb mince is fine. But to amp the flavour and the juice, cut up your own lamb chops. Pan fried here, but work well steamed too.

For 30 pieces - serves 4 as a meal, 6 as a decent snack

Ingredients
30 gyoza wrappers - make your own as in the photo here (steps at Wrap it) or buy 1 packet (about 30 sheets) gyoza wrappers (gow gee wrappers are fine)
Sesame oil, for frying - a tablespoon or two
300ml water, for steaming. Use just boiled water.

Filling
400g lamb mince or finely cut up lamb chops with a bit of fat (I use forequarter chops - they’re cheap)
2 cups, or 150g, cabbage (I use wombok)
1/4 cup finely cut shallots
2 tablespoons ginger, finely grated or minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground szechuan pepper
1 tablespoon shoaxing rice wine or cooking sake
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Big pinches of salt and pepper

Sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoons sesame oil
Pinch of salt or sugar to taste
(optional add in - white part of a shallot, ginger, chilli oil, minced garlic)

Method

For the filling…

1. Finely chop the cabbage. Sprinkle salt on the cabbage, leave it for about 15 minutes to extract liquid (so gyoza aren’t watery when cooked). Use your hands or wrap with a tea towel and squeeze out the water.

2. Cut up the lamb chops as finely as you can.

3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix through with your hands.

To wrap…

Remember, wet the edges of the wrappers with your fingers so the sides stick together. It’s easy.

1. Take a wrapper in one hand, fold over the filling with about 1/3 of the near side wrapper.

2. Pinch it at one end (I’m right handed, so I start from the left), use your index fingers to make a S-shaped pleat. Press down and seal.

3. Continue pleating to the other end. The near side should be flat and the far side pleated. Make sure there’s no air bubbles.

4. Place each gyoza on a floured plate or board. Push them down gently to make a flat bottom. Cover with plastic or a wet cloth.

   Wrapping photos and options at the ‘Wrap it’ link below.

To pan-fry the gyoza…

1. Heat frying pan and add sesame or any vegetable oil. Cook on a medium-high heat.

2. Add gyoza to the pan when it’s sizzling hot. Work in batches.

3. After 5 minutes or so, or when the gyoza bases are brown and crispy, sprinkle with some sesame oil.

4. After the oil, pour in some boiled water (say, 1/3 cup or 80-100ml per 10 gyoza) and cover to steam for 5 minutes or so.

5. Open the lid and cook until any remaining water evaporates.

6. Sprinkle some sesame oil. Remove from the heat when the base of the gyozas are deep brown and crispy. Amp the heat if you need to.

7. Use a spatular to turn out the gyoza with their crispy base facing up. Photos at the ‘Cook it’ link below.

Combine the sauce ingredients and serve!