Deliciously Stuffed 手羽餃子
Teba Gyoza (Stuffed Chicken Wings)
Who doesn’t love chicken wings?
Seriously, the once ugly stepchild to the coveted chicken breast, they’re now equally, if not more, expensive at the market (even though most of it is bone). They’re the perfect social food — they’re tasty, don’t require any utensils to eat (sans napkins) and can be easily made i n large quantities.
In their quest for Kaizen (“continuous improvement”), the Japanese have taken chicken wings up a notch.
Sure, they (almost) always taste great, but could they be even better? Definitely — especially when they’re stuffed with a savory gyoza filling before being fried to a crisp.
While not terribly difficult to make, it does take some time to prep (to remove the bones, and make the stuffing) — but it’ll worth every boneless bite in the end. And while deboning the mid section of the chicken wing takes some practice (and, in my case, a lot a swearing), I’ve figured out that using paper towels can be your best friend to accomplish this task.
One other tip, try not to overstuff the wings — it can be challenging to secure it close, and will cause a lot of splatter during frying.
Deboned and ready to be filled.
Teba Gyoza (Stuffed Chicken Wings)
Makes: 12 wings | Adapted from: kitchenmisadventures.com
INGREDIENTS:
12 chicken wings (drummettes removed; middle section and tips still attached)
1 cup cornstarch
12 toothpicks
Canola oil for frying
Gyoza filling (see below; the recipe will make way more filling than needed for the stuffed wings)
METHOD:
Using kitchen shears or a small paring knife, separate the two bones within the middle section of the wings. Using paper towels, hold down the top of each bone and push down to release the bone from the flesh. Twist the bone to release it from the joint and pull it out, being careful to leave the skin intact. Continue to do the same with all of the bones in the middle section of each wing.
Once all the wings have been deboned, dust the the insides (newly created pockets) with cornstarch and fill with the gyoza mixture. Secure with the toothpicks and set aside.
In a medium pot over a medium-high flame, heat enough oil (about 1” high) to 350°F. Dredge the stuffed wings in more cornstarch and fry until golden brown all over, about 8-10 minutes.
Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.
Stuffed and ready to be fried.
Gyoza Filling
NOTE: This is a RAW filling and needs to be fully cooked to be consumed.
Makes: A lot of filling for stuffing gyoza, gau gee, wontons, eggplant; or just to be formed into patties and pan fried.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground turkey (or pork)
8 ounces raw shrimp (peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped)
½ cup water chestnuts (coarsely chopped)
5 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in warm water for at least one hour; squeezed of excess water and coarsely chopped)
½ cup green onions (chopped)
½ cup cilantro (finely chopped), optional
1 large egg
¼ cup cornstarch
⅓ cup oyster sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons minced (or grated) ginger
2 tablespoons minced (or grated) garlic
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
METHOD:
In a large bowl, thoroughly combine all of the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least one hour before using as a filling for gyoza, gau gee, etc.
たくさん 食べてね。