July 17, 2005

Gyoza factory

I have been told that in some Asian families, children often participate in making dumplings - quickly learning the skills required to nimbly fold soft sheets of dough around a variety of succulent fillings - and the entire family sits around a table making dozens of dumplings at a time. Some for now, some for the freezer. It's a mental image that I love: it reminds me of making perogies with my mother, although we never made them in such a quantity (or all that often).

For the most part, I am a factory of one. Still, after the first couple of clumsily folded dumplings, I usually get into a groove and manage to fold three dozen neatly folded dumplings in less than an hour all by myself. Today, I decided to fold both halves of my package of gyoza skins - a total of six dozen dumplings. Since mixing up the filling takes the same amount of time, whether you are doing one or six dozen, it doesn't really add much time to the task to do a whole lot at once.


Since my last batch of gyoza were chicken, ginger, and water chestnut, I decided to go back to my standard pork recipe for this batch. Who knows what the next batch will be - I'm thinking I might try something with shrimp. So now, once again my freezer is stuffed with little treasures. I have my Jamaican Jerk Patties, I have some burritos (although they are running low) and I have six dozen gyoza, just waiting for a noodle-feast! I am pleased with my afternoon's work. Less than a couple of hours, really.

6 comments:

Ana said...

Wow! That's patience. My mother loved to make rissóis a Portuguese turnover very similar to your Gyoza, at least in shape. She would make 60 to 80 at a time and my children love them. Unfortunately I have very little patience for this type of cuisine, one reason why I do not bake cookies either. I love to eat them though (the rissóis, I mean)!

Unknown said...

I agree! Lots of patience... I have done wontons before. It is so satisfying to have those bags full of frozen things that you personally made.

FoodNinja said...

Those look great I wish I had time enough to make them now!

Dawna said...

Ana - the rissois sound wonderful! I've been wanting to try some shrimp or prawn dumplings. Maybe I'll conquer my fear of frying...

Linda - I'm not really described as a patient person! the thing about making these, is really just having a block of time where you're not on a tight schedule, and then letting your mind wander while you work. I usually sing while I'm making things like this - that is probably why I'm a factory of only one!

Templar - Aw, it only takes an hour tops, if you do a single batch (3 dozen - one side of a two-pack set of gyoza wrappers). It probably took me longer to make the Jamaican patties.

Molly said...

Dawna, those gyoza are absolutely beautiful! They're each so picture-perfect. I'll have to give your recipe a go one of these days. Sometimes I love those sorts of let-your-mind-wander kitchen tasks, and it may be just what I need right now...

Dawna said...

Molly, I hope you get the chance to make these - the reward is worth the effort, I promise!