Ebi Gyoza

Maria asked for this recipe as she saw the photo in the wagamama cookbook on my counter, so here it is:

(T = tablespoon and t = teaspoon)

5 ounces cooked peeled shrimp

4.5 ounces canned water chestnuts, drained

2 scallions, trimmed

4 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves

1 T cornstarch

pinch each of salt, sugar and white pepper

1 t. oyster sauce

1 t. light soy sauce

1 t. sesame oil

1 package gyoza skins (wrappers)

vegetable oil, for frying

gyoza sauce, for serving (I made 1/4 recipe of this):

1 large clove, finely chopped

1 large red chile, finely chopped

salt

2 T sugar

1 cup minus 1 T malt vinegar

1 cup light soy sauce

1 T sesame oil

1. Mince shrimp, water chestnuts and scallions or use food processor.

2. Put spinach in a colander and wilt by pouring boiling water over it; then cool, drain and squeeze excess moisture, chop and add to shrimp, etc., along with the cornstarch, salt, sugar, white pepper, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil.

3. Put a teaspoonful of this mexture in the center of each gyoza skin. (Before I did this, I moistened the outer edges of the gyoza skin with my finger.) Fold over to create a half-moon shape and press to seal...or use the tines of a fork and press around the edges.

4. Heat a large frying pan (or medium sized, but make sure it has a very flat bottom so oil and heat distribute evenly) and when hot and almost smoking, add 1 T of oil. Put 3 or 4 of the dumplings in the pan and saute gently for 2 minutes over low to medium heat.

5. Carefully add 3 T of water, cover immediately and heat for 1 more minute; then remove and set aside for another 2 minutes. Repeat. Serve with gyoza sauce.

I made about 40 of these and thought they were delicious. Adam also loved them (Adam who doesn't like spinach, onions or water chestnuts). We ate about half one night for dinner and I made the rest the next day for lunch.

Gyoza skins: I went into the Asian market and found the spring roll wrapper aisle where there were about 200 packages of spring roll wrappers. As I was searching for gyoza, the nice Asian man happened by and asked if he could help. I had written down "gyoza" and showed it to him, and he immediately went to the opposite end of the market, and crubbed way back in a freezer section and found gyoza wrappers. They are delicate, thin, perfectly round and flat, about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. They worked beautifully.