Traditional tebasaki gyoza (stuffed chicken wings)

Ingredients

• 1200 g whole chicken wings (tebasaki)
• 300 g ground pork shoulder with 15 % fat
• 150 g napa cabbage
• 30 g nira garlic chives
• 2 cloves garlic clove
• 10 g fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp Japanese shoyu soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Japanese cooking sake
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp potato starch
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 pinch ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp refined canola oil
• 80 ml water
• 4 tbsp gyoza dipping sauce
• 1 piece lemon

Method

1. Lay the whole chicken wings (tebasaki) flat on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, snip the tendons and cartilage connections around the two bones at the widest joint, taking care not to pierce the outer skin.
2. Grip the first forearm bone between your fingers, twist it to break the cartilage connection at the wingtip end, and gently pull it straight out. Repeat with the second bone to create a hollow, pliable pocket while leaving the wingtip intact.
3. Finely chop the napa cabbage. Place it in a bowl with the fine salt, massage it firmly with your fingertips, and let it sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture, then squeeze it very vigorously between your hands to extract as much liquid as possible.
4. Peel and finely grate the garlic clove and fresh ginger. Finely mince the nira garlic chives.
5. Place the ground pork shoulder in a bowl. Add the Japanese shoyu soy sauce, Japanese cooking sake, toasted sesame oil, ground white pepper, and potato starch. Vigorously knead the meat in steady circular motions for 3 minutes until the mixture turns sticky and forms pale, elastic strands.
6. Add the squeezed napa cabbage, nira garlic chives, grated garlic, and fresh ginger to the kneaded meat. Gently mix for 1 minute to distribute the vegetables evenly without breaking down the filling's cohesive texture.
7. Open the pocket of each deboned chicken wing. Spoon the filling inside, filling each wing only two-thirds full so it does not burst during cooking, then fold the loose skin over the opening to seal the pocket.
8. Heat the refined canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches around 170 °C. Arrange the stuffed wings side by side, rounded skin-side down, and sear undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes, until the skin turns a deep, crisp golden brown.
9. Carefully flip the wings. Immediately pour the water into the pan, producing a burst of steam, and cover tightly with a lid right away. Steam over medium heat for 7 minutes, until the liquid has almost completely evaporated and the center of the filling registers at least 75 °C on an instant-read thermometer.
10. Remove the lid as soon as the wet hissing turns into a dry, steady crackle. Continue cooking over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the wings so the rendered chicken fat crisps the skin evenly into a glossy finish. Let rest for 2 minutes off the heat before serving.
11. Arrange the hot wings on a serving platter. Set the lemon wedges alongside and serve immediately with the gyoza dipping sauce.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

474.6 kcal

Protein

57.08 g

Carbohydrate

7.53 g

Fat

23.5 g

Fibre

1.69 g

Calcium

40.48 mg

Iron

0.46 mg

Magnesium

14.64 mg