Gyosa

This vegetable and pork filled dumpling is delicious as a snack or part of a meal.

8 medium size cabbage leaves, blanched 2 to 3 minutes

1 pound ground lean pork butt

1 bunch green onions, finely minced

1 small clove garlic, finely minced (of course, I use more)

1 tablespoon amber sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon salt

60 to 70 gyosa wrappers

Remove center rib from cabbage leaves. Mince leaves and place in clean tea towel. Wring gently to squeeze out excess moisture. Place cabbage in a medium size mixing bowl and add pork, green onions, garlic, sesame oil and salt. Mix thoroughly to combine; mixture should be slightly crumbly. Set aside. Have gyosa wrappers ready.

To fill gyosa, have two damp towels at hand; one should be covering the gyosa wrappers and the other laid over an ungreased jellyroll pan. Have a bowl of water handy. Place a wrapper flat in one hand and put a rounded teaspoon of the pork filling in the center. With your finger or a pastry brush, moisten one half of the inside edge of the wrapper. Pull center section together and pinch small pleats on either side. Place upright on jellyroll pan and cover with a damp towel. Repeat until all ingredients have been used. (Gyosa may be frozen and stored at this point. * )

To cook gyosa, heat a large (10 to 12 inch) frying pan. Pour in just enough cooking oil to cover the bottom with a light film. Heat over medium-high heat until oil just begins to smoke. Carefully place gyosa upright in pan, making sure not to crowd (you will have to cook gyosa in several batches). When bottoms have been well-browned, pour 1/2 cup water into pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. (Do not turn gyosa.) Cook for 6 minutes and then check to see if the water has almost evaporated. If it has, recover the pan and continue to cook, for 4 minutes longer. If the water has not evaporated, remove cover for the last 4 minutes of cooking.

*To freeze gyosa, place jellyroll pan in the freezer until dumplings are solidly frozen and then transfer them into a freezer bag. Frozen gyosa will keep up to 2 months. To cook frozen gyosa, do not defrost. Heat a large frying pan and pour in just enough oil to cover the bottom with a light film. When oil begins to smoke, reduce heat to medium-low before adding the frozen dumplings to the pan. When they begin to brown, turn heat to medium-high and cook as directed above.