00:00Everyone loves dumplings but these chicken gyoza flip the script.
00:03Hand chopped thighs for springy bites,
00:06umeboshi for tangy brightness,
00:08shiso for minty pepper leaf.
00:10Keep watching to see how to get the perfectly crispy base and tender steam tops.
00:16For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website.
00:20Just google chicken gyoza suzachi to find me.
00:23Let's get our amazing place ready.
00:25Finely diced 50 grams of onion and 50 grams of green cabbage.
00:30If you have napa cabbage on hand, that's a great swap too.
00:34Slice 30 grams of garlic chives and shred 20 perilla leaves.
00:41Now for the umeboshi.
00:42If you're using whole umeboshi, pick them and mash into a smooth paste.
00:47You will need about 2 tablespoons of paste,
00:50which is roughly 2 to 4 medium umeboshi.
00:53If you've got store bought umeboshi paste, that's fine too.
00:57Finally grate about 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, nice and fine so it spreads evenly throughout the filling.
01:03Preparing everything ahead like this sets you up for a seamless rhythm.
01:09Next we're preparing our protein.
01:11Take 100 grams of boneless chicken thighs and finely chop them until the pieces are very small but still chunkier
01:19than ground meat.
01:19Hand chopped chicken remains more moisture pockets than fully ground meat,
01:25so when it cooks, the filling feels springy and juicy, not dense and pasty.
01:31It's a texture thing that makes all the difference.
01:34If you only have ground chicken, it'll still work fine.
01:37And if you want to swap in ground turkey, that's another light option with a similar vibe.
01:42Alright, let's build that flavour.
01:45In the same bowl, combine your finely chopped chicken thigh with 100 grams of ground chicken.
01:51Now add 1 tablespoon of sake or dried sherry or white wine if that's what you have,
01:561 teaspoon of Japanese soy sauce,
01:58half a teaspoon of salt,
01:59a pinch of ground pepper,
02:01and 1 tablespoon of toasted white sesame seeds.
02:04Mix everything with your hands or a spoon until the mixture looks sticky and cohesive.
02:10You'll need about 1-2 minutes of mixing so the proteins bind and hold their shape.
02:16As always, all ingredients and exact measurements for this recipe can be found in the description box below.
02:21Time to get organised!
02:23Arrange a stack of 25 round gilza wrappers.
02:26You can make this from scratch if you feel like it but a store ball works perfectly fine too.
02:31Set out a small bowl of cold water and a tray dust it with a little flour all lined with
02:39parchment paper.
02:41This is your wrapping station.
02:45Now for the pleating, take one wrapper and place about 1 tablespoon of filling right in the centre,
02:52leaving a finger with border around the edge.
02:55Lightly wet the edge of the wrapper with water.
02:58Don't overdo it, just enough water to make it tacky.
03:01Fold the wrapper into a half moon shape, but don't seal it yet.
03:06Pinch one corner to anchor it.
03:08Then start making small pleats on one side.
03:11Aim for 4 to 6 pleats total.
03:14Press each pleat into the flat opposite side as you go, creating that classic gilza shape.
03:22Finish by pressing firmly along the entire seam to lock it in.
03:26A proper seal is everything here.
03:29It keeps the filling from leaking and the wrapper from bursting open.
03:34Repeat this process until all your wrappers and filling are used up.
03:38Now heat a non-stick or well seasoned skillet of medium heat and add neutral cooking oil.
03:44Let it heat until the oil shimmers.
03:47You want shimmer, not smoke.
03:49If the oil starts smoking, lower the heat and give the pan about 30 seconds of the burner to cool
03:55down.
03:56Arrange your gilza in the pan flat side down.
03:58Let them cook undisturbed until the bottoms turn golden brown and you hear the satisfying audible sizzle.
04:05This takes about 2 to 3 minutes, sometimes up to 5 depending on your heat.
04:11This first fry is critical.
04:13It creates the signature crisp base that won't sog out during the steaming phase.
04:19Listen for the sound.
04:20You'll hear the sizzling intensify and when you peek underneath one gilza, you should see a deep golden brown colour,
04:28not pale tan.
04:29Once those bottoms are beautifully golden, carefully pour freshly boiled water around the dumplings.
04:35Be careful here, the oil might splatter a bit when the water hits so don't stand too close.
04:42Because I'm only cooking 10 for this batch, I only used a bit less than 100ml.
04:48Immediately carve the pan with a lid to trap the steam.
04:52Cook off medium heat until most of the water has evaporated and the wrappers look glossy and tender on top.
04:59For fresh dumplings, this takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
05:03Remove the lid and let any remaining moisture evaporate completely.
05:08Now drizzle about half a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil.
05:12Cook for another 30 to 60 seconds until you hear the bottoms audibly crackle and the pan smells toasty and
05:19nutty.
05:20Time to plate.
05:21You can invert the entire pan onto a platter to keep those crisp bottoms perfectly intact,
05:27or lift them out gently with a thin spatula if you prefer.
05:30Serve hot with ponzu sauce on the side for dipping.
05:35And there you have it, springy juicy chicken, bright sour ume, cool green shiso, crisp base, tender top.
05:42It's the kind of balance that makes you feel oddly virtuous while reaching for a second plate.
05:49Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
05:55Ok, let's go over the ingredients one more time.
05:58And if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's
06:03about to pop up on your screen.
06:05Want to learn every detail behind this recipe?
06:08You can find these full version and step by step tips on my website.
06:12Just tap the link on the screen.
06:14And if you want to make classic gyoza, head to my pork gyoza video on the screen too.
06:19Thanks for watching.
06:20Bye-bye.
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