Scallops, Pork and Fennel Gyoza

This one is a cracker.

Rich and juicy, the fennel adds crunch alongside the zing of the ginger. Easy luxury.

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

Ingredients
1 packet (about 30 sheets) gyoza wrappers (gow gee wrappers are fine)
Sesame oil, for frying
300ml water, for steaming

Filling
300g raw scallops, roughly chopped
100g minced or finely chopped pork (try a mix of belly and loin)
50g fennel, finely chopped
1 tablespoon shoaxing rice wine or cooking sake
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon miso paste - I use use white (白, or しろ) Shiro miso, which is mild. Use whatever you have, but ease off the salt if using red (赤, or あか) Aka miso.
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
2 teaspoons ginger, finely grated or minced

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

Method

For the filling

1. In a large bowl, combine the pork with salt, pepper, sesame oil, miso paste and rice wine/sake. Stir it ‘round the bowl in one direction until a bit pasty.

2. Add chopped scallops, fennel and ginger. Work in gently with hands. You want to keep the scallops chunky, not turn them into mush.

To wrap the gyoza in a classic crescent shape….don’t be put off, it’s not hard…

1. Lay 2-3 wrappers on a board. Cover the remaining wrappers with a wet tea towel so they don’t dry out.

2. Add a heaped teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper.

3. Fill a small bowl with water. Dip fingers in water and wet the edges of the wrapper.

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

5. Hold the wrapper in your palm and pinch it at one end (I’m right handed, so I start from the left).

6. Starting from one end, use your index fingers to make a S-shaped pleat. Press down and seal the pleat.

7. Continue pleating to the other end. The near side should be flat and the far side pleated. Make sure it’s well-sealed with no air bubbles.

8. 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.

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

To pan-fry the gyoza…

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

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

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 (no more than 1/3 cup at a time) 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!