Recipes – Japanese Cooking Together

Make the Marinade

• Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks and place in a bowl with the soy, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic and ginger. Stir well to coat the chicken and leave to marinate for 20 minutes (overnight is fine too). Add water where necessary.
• Cut the white part of the spring onion into 3cm pieces. Reserve the green part.
• Thread a piece of chicken onto the skewer, followed by a piece of spring onion. Keep adding until you have use all the chicken and spring onion, you should make 2 skewers each
• Heat a frying pan on medium heat with a little oil. When the oil is hot, place the skewers in the pan and cook until both sides are brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Reserve the remaining marinade.
• Then, add the remaining marinade plus water, cover with a pan lid and cook on a low heat for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens in the pan and chicken is tender.
• Serve with Japanese Slaw and shredded spring onion

• First, add the sliced cabbage into a bowl, sprinkle with salt and massage the cabbage until softened.
• Then, add all the other ingredients and serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.

• Finely slice the Chinese leaf cabbage and place it in a dish. Add a sprinkle of salt to it and massage it into the cabbage to release moisture.
• Meanwhile prepare the aromatics - finely chop the garlic, spring onion and ginger and place in a separate mixing bowl. Add the pork or sweet potato and seasonings, including sesame oil.
• Squeeze as much moisture out of the cabbage as you can before adding this to the mixture and combine everything well.
• Mix the filling vigorously in one direction until it reaches the consistency of a sticky paste. If using meats like chicken or pork, you will start to notice white streaks along the sides of the mixing bowl (this is the fats breaking down and will result in a much more tender and juicy bite).

Folding the Gyoza

• Place a dumpling wrapper on your palm and add the filling in the centre of the wrapper. Dip your finger in the water and lightly wet the edge of the dumpling wrapper. Pinch the wrapper in the middle and crimp the edges on one side, repeat on the other. Seal the wrapper then place it on a non-stick flat surface. Repeat to make all your dumplings.

Steamed Method

• Place non-stick materials such as cabbage leaves or baking paper in a steamer and place the gyoza on it. Make sure the gyoza are not touching each other. Put the lid on. Place the steamer over a saucepan of boiling water and cook the gyoza for 6-12 minutes on medium-low heat.
• When cooked the gyoza should look slightly translucent Serve immediately.

Pan Fried Potsticker Method:

• In a well-heated pan, add some cooking oil. Place your dumplings and cook over medium-high heat until the bottom of the gyoza is golden brown (2 to 3 mins). Reduce the heat to medium to medium-low.
• Add the water (1/4 cup) and put the lid on to cook with the steam. This will ensure the meat is thoroughly cooked without burning. Your gyoza should be ready to eat when most of the water disappears from the pan (about 5 mins).

Optional - Add a Crispy Lattice

• Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing cornflour and water together.
• Add the slurry around the dumplings, not directly over the top. Immediately cover with a lid. Steam for 4-5 minutes. Remove the lid and serve.

Serve the gyoza while hot, in a broth or with a dipping sauce or soy sauce.

Marinated Chilli Eggs

• Bring a pan of water to boil and slowly put the eggs in, boil for 5-6mins
• Plunge the eggs into ices water to stop them cooking.
• When cool, peel and place in a bowl with chilli oil, water and soy and leave to marinate for 30 mins. Slice in half and serve in the broth.

Miso Broth

• Add chicken stock to a pan and bring to the boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Place both types of miso in the stock (dashi) and slowly loosen up the miso with a spoon as the dashi mixes with it; the paste will slowly melt into the dashi.
• Heat a frying pan with a splash of oil and add the leeks, carrots, pak choi, beansprouts and stir-fry for 5 minutes with some salt and white pepper.
• Ladle the broth into bowls evenly.
• Divide the spring onions and sweetcorn between each bowl, adding the marinated boiled egg, sliced in half, and sprinkling with sesame and chilli oils.
• Add the gyozas and enjoy.

• Preheat your oven to 200°C leave the skin on and pierce several times with to allow steam to escape. Roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 45–60 minutes until tender and caramelised
• Allow to cool and remove the flesh from the skin, and place in a blow, mash the flesh with a fork.

For Dumpling filling

• Add the rest of the ingredients from your class recipe

For GF dumpling wrappers

• Add GF flour and water, keep mixing until you have a soft dough. Every sweet potato is different, so add a little flour and water at a time to achieve the desired consistency. Split into portions.
• Use GF flour on your work surface and roll using a dusted rolling pin and either shape or cut into circles