Salmon Gyoza, Two Ways

I had these two 8 oz salmon steaks in the fridge that needed to be cooked, but I was not in the mood for the reish* flavor of a full salmon steak. So I got crazy with the wonton wrappers.

Ingredients for the Gyoza, Variation 1:
- 8 oz salmon steak, chopped finely
- 3 large asparagus stalks, chopped finely, green parts only
- chives, chopped finely, to taste
- 1 egg white
- salt and pepper, to taste
- about 20 wonton wrappers
- 1 tsp vegetable oil, plus more for frying
- water

Ingredients for the Gyoza, Variation 2 (aka Crab Rangoon meets NY Jew):
- 8 oz salmon steak, chopped finely
- chives, chopped finely, to taste
- whipped cream cheese (I think I used about 1/4 cup?)
- about 20 wonton wrappers
- vegetable oil for frying
- water

Ingredients for the low-fat creamy lemon dill sauce:
- 1/4 cup low-fat mayo
- about 3/8 cup fat-free sour cream
- lemon juice, to taste
- chopped fresh dill, to taste
- 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
- pepper, to taste
- chives, to taste

To make the gyoza:

1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl except the wrappers. Let chill for 10 minutes

2) Now, I personally could give two shits about correct gyoza stuffing. If you're a traditionalist, you can google the pleating process etc. I just took as much as I could shove into each rectangle, wet the edges, folded into triangles, and pinched the edges until they stayed closed.

3) Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan to fully cover the surface. Turn the burner to high. When the oil is hot -- you know, it sputters, a drop of water bounces around, etc -- you're in business. Reduce heat to medium. Place a few gyoza in the pan, without over-crowding. My pan fit about 9 comfortably. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until you get a nice browning on the bottom.

4) Pour about 1/2-cup of water into the pan and reduce heat to low-medium. Cover the pan and let the dumplings steam until the dough is fully cooked. This varies, but I'd guess about 10 min. You can tell when it's done because the dough gets all bubbly and clingy onto the filling.

5) Drain the dumplings on papertowels.



To Make the Dipping Sauce for Variation 1:
Combine and chill. That's it, seriously. Should last about 4 days in the fridge.


I like variation 1 served cold, but I think most people like 'em hot. Variation 2 is good with soy sauce.

Enjoy, kiddies.




*Reish, spelling estimated, is a Caribbean word (I think Crucian) that describes the fishy flavor of fish. There isn't a better word for it in English.