Name: Dumplings with a Crispy Skirt
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT1H15M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT4H15M0.000S
Yield: about 32 dumplings
Ingredients: 6 medium dried shiitake mushrooms (each about 1 inch in diameter); 2 cups shredded napa cabbage (about 1/4 small head); Kosher salt; 1 pound fatty ground pork (see Cook’s Note); 2 tablespoons light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper; 5 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable); One 16-ounce package gyoza wrappers; 3 teaspoons cornstarch; 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour; 3/4 teaspoon white vinegar; Chinese black vinegar, for dipping, optional

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Soak the mushrooms in a medium bowl with 3 cups cool water. Stir to moisten the entire surface of the mushrooms. Set aside at room temperature for at least 3 hours and up to 4 hours.
When the mushrooms are nearly rehydrated, toss the cabbage with 1 tablespoon salt in a medium bowl and let sit until liquid pools at the bottom, about 15 minutes. Squeeze out as much water as possible from the cabbage in between two hands and transfer the cabbage to a large bowl. Add the pork, 1/2 cup of the mushroom soaking water, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix only in one direction using chopsticks until the pork-and-cabbage mixture starts to become sticky. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the neutral oil until evenly mixed.
Remove and discard the stems from the mushrooms. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the pork filling. Stir until combined.
Set up a dumpling wrapping station with the following: a small bowl of cold water for sealing, the pork-and-cabbage filling, gyoza wrappers kept in the package and a large plate or baking sheet lined with plastic wrap to prevent the dumplings from sticking.
Place one gyoza wrapper in your palm, add 1 tablespoon of the filling to the center, then lightly dab the perimeter of the wrapper with cold water (I use my index finger). Fold into a half-moon shape and seal the midpoint, leaving the sides open. Make 2 pleats starting from the left side of the half-moon folding towards the midpoint then firmly press the pleated side to seal. Repeat the pleating on the right side. Firmly press to seal the dumpling and thin out the edge of the wrapper slightly. Place the finished dumplings on the prepared plate. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling (see Cook’s Note).
Whisk together 1/2 cup cold water, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of the white vinegar in a small bowl until the slurry is smooth and free of lumps.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet (about 11-inch) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Arrange 10 dumplings in a concentric circle or flower pattern (place the pointy end of each dumpling in the center of the skillet with the pleated side of the next dumpling facing the flat side of the previous one). Fry until the bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir the slurry before pouring into the skillet, cover with a lid, and cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat, moving the skillet as needed for even browning, until the skirt looks dry, crisp and golden brown. Remove from the heat, place a large dinner plate over the skillet and carefully invert the dumplings onto the plate with the skirt-side up. Serve immediately with Chinese black vinegar, for dipping.
Repeat making the slurry and frying the remaining dumplings or freeze the dumplings on the plastic wrap–lined plate until frozen, then transfer the frozen dumplings to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Cook’s Note

This recipe yields 32 dumplings in total. If you are cooking them from frozen, add an extra minute to the cook time when the skillet is covered. Avoid using lean ground pork for this recipe; a fattier ground pork will keep the filling moist and juicy once cooked.

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Dumplings with a Crispy Skirt