The Japanese version of the Chinese ‘potsticker’. Apparently, in a galaxy far far away, the Japanese pinched this idea from the Chinese during World War II. I first had this from my local Chinese when I lived with Ma- and, being a gannet, ordered them because they sounded like dumplings! The best thing about them was dipping them in rice wine vinegar and having the crunch of white cabbage. I’ve been dying to make these but just needed Gyoza wrappers and a steamer. Honestly, drag your hungover carcasses to an Asian supermarket- it opens a world of inexpensive, delicious and simple cooking! I got 50 million chopsticks, Gyoza wrappers, rice wine vinegar, some bowls and a steamer for less than £12. Not to mention the fact that you can get prawns the size of babies’ arms and all the pretentious coconut oil you can Instagram for a pittance! 

Gyoza

• 1 packet of Gyoza wrappers (about 24)
• 250g of pork or turkey mince
• 6 savoy cabbage leaves (hard stalks cut out)
• 4 spring onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tbsp of water
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 green Birdseye chilli
• 100g of white cabbage
• Sesame oil

1. Fry the garlic. Finely chop the Savoy cabbage and wilt down in a pan with a bit of oil and water. 
2. Throw the cabbage in a bowl to cool for a couple of minutes then add finely chopped spring onion, chilli, soy sauce and the mince. Thoroughly blend the mixture. 
3. Wet half the edge of a Gyoza wrappers and spoon a heaped teaspoon of the meat mixture into them.
4. Fold in half, seal with your fingers and plop them on a sheet of baking paper. 
5. Heat up the steaming water in a saucepan that is about the same size as your steamer. Heat up some more sesame oil. 
6. Gently fry the Gyozas on one side until golden brown. Then put them in a steamer (about six at a time) for five minutes at a time.
7. While your yummies are steaming, finely slice your white cabbage, douse with rice wine vinegar and equal amounts of water. Add a splash of soy sauce.
8. Avoiding third degree steam burns, plop your Gyoza on a plate and enjoy with your tasty dip!

The spring rolls are from my blog too.
I’ll end with a weird proverb a priest told us while in primary school: there are two rooms full of people. One room is full of starving people and the others are happy and well fed. Both have the same amount of rice and metre long chopsticks. The starving room are furiously struggling to feed themselves and the full room are all feeding each other across the table.

If in doubt, use your hands!