Gyoza The Ultimate Dumpling Cookbook by Paradise Yamamoto is a simple and easy to learn dumpling making book for all beginners! His step-by-step instructions with photos and tips are so useful and his dumplings are surprisingly easy to make once you learn a few basic techniques! There is no head scratching nor complicated techniques to follow. I also love that he is so creative with his recipes that will suit the western younger generation’s taste buds, please picky eaters and gyoza connoisseurs alike!
This book contains 50 delicious dumpling recipes, including Shiitake Mushroom Dumplings, Waygu Beef Dumplings, Bacon and Cheese Carbonara Dumplings, Lamb and Coriander Dumplings and many more traditional and playful recipes (including dessert dumplings). Paradise Yamamoto “Gyoza King” wants to share all of his secrets and the joys of making great dumplings at home through this book.
His ten basic ingredients for making dumplings are garlic chives, celery, ginger root, cabbage, pork belly, pork loin, Shaoxing rice wine, green onions, Shiitake mushrooms and Gyoza wrappers. These basic ingredients are easy to find in big supermarkets, except the Gyoza wrappers, which you can find in Asian supermarket’s frozen section. It is best to use circle-shaped wrappers, or if you can’t find them, try the square-shaped wrappers and use a pastry cutter to cut them into circles.
In this book, he shows us seven wrap methods: The Crescent, Santa’s Gift Bag, The Sailor Cap, The Volcano, The Seashell, The Penguin and The Handstand. We tried the Crescent, Sailor Cap and Volcano wrapping methods.
I love the step-by-step photo illustrations as it is so easy to follow! It is like having a teacher next to me! Both of my children were also able to follow without fail and enjoyed learning these new skills.
There are a few ways to cook your Gyoza like pan fry, deep fry, simmer, steam and broil. I prefer to simmer it and eat it with noodles. It can get quite messy and soggy if you over-boil it, so do pay attention to your dumplings.
I would definitely recommend this book as it is easy to follow and love his creative recipes. Of course, you can customize the ingredients to your liking. It is available to buy from good bookstores, Amazon and Tuttle Publishing.
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