Easy Cheese and Shrimp Gyozas (East/west)

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Title: Easy Cheese and Shrimp Gyozas (East/west)
Categories: Chinese, Appetizers, Ceideburg 2
Yield: 4 servings

1/2 lb Medium shrimp (41 to 50 per
-pound), shelled and
-deveined
1 1/2 ts Salt
1 ts Finely minced ginger or
-ginger juice
2 ts Shao Hsing wine or dry
-sherry
1 ts Cornstarch
5 Water chestnuts (fresh),
-finely chopped
2 Green onions, chopped
1 1/2 tb Chopped fresh coriander
2 Chinese sausages, finely
-chopped
1 1/4 c Grated Monterey Jack cheese
-(about 5 ounces)
1 Package (12 to 16 ounces)
-round siu mai wrappers or
-won ton wrappers

MMMMM----------------------LIME CREAM SAUCE---------------------------
1 tb Oil
2/3 c Chicken stock
1/2 c Whipping cream
1 tb Lime juice
Salt and white pepper, to
-taste
Fresh coriander

I find Chinese recipes that use dairy products highly suspect and
tend to turn my nose up at them. Ooopsss. Guess I *am* a snob. ;-}
But I just bought an excellent new cookbook++Asian Appetizers by
Joyce Jue, a local (SF local, that is) food columnist. Check this
one out... You should be able to get all the ingredients easily,
including the Chinese sausages.

Cheese and cream are not traditional ingredients in Asian cooking.
However, I enjoy the subtle flavor of a mild cheese, such as Monterey
Jack, and the way it works in this gyoza (Japanese-style potsticker)
recipe. The cheese acts as a velvety binder that melts in your mouth;
the cream is used to make a lime-scented sauce.

A dozen gyozas makes a nice appetizer serving for four, but it's not
really practical to make just a dozen at a time. This recipe makes 4
dozen, and the rest can be frozen for another use. The sauce recipe
is enough for a dozen; if you want to make more, simply multiply the
sauce ingredients, but bear in mind that you will have to make the
sauce separately as part of each batch. Freeze extra uncooked gyozas
on a baking sheet; when frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. Do
not defrost before browning.

1. Toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of the salt and let them stand
for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly, drain, and pat dry. Finely chop
the shrimp and put them into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining salt
and the ginger, wine, cornstarch, water chestnuts, green onions,
coriander, sausages and cheese: mix thoroughly.

2. If you are using won ton wrappers, trim the corners to make them
round. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of a
wrapper. Moisten the edge of the wrapper with water and fold it in
half to enclose the filling and form a half circle. Pinch the edges
together to seal. Set the gyoza on a baking sheet; cover it with a
towel. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.

3. To cook and sauce 4 servings, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a 10-
inch nonstick skillet and set it over medium heat. Arrange 12 gyozas
in a single layer n the pan; pan-fry for 1 minute or until lightly
browned. Turn the gyozas over and brown the other side, about 1
minute longer. Add the chicken stock; shake the pan to prevent the
gyozas from sticking. Cover and cook at a low boil for 2 minutes.
Remove the gyozas to a plate and keep them warm.

4. Increase the heat to high and add the cream; bring to a boil and
cook, stirring until thickened, about 45 seconds. Stir in the lime
juice; season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. To serve, divide the sauce among 4 plates; arrange 3 gyozas on
each. Garnish with fresh coriander.

From "Asian Appetizers" by Joyce Jue, Harlow and Ratner, 1991. ISBN
0-9627345-1-9.

This is a gorgeous book by a local Asian food columnist. She covers
all of east Asia and includes some of the new "East/West" recipes
that seem to be evolving in California. The largest number of
recipes are from Thailand and China but recipes from Indonesia,
Japan, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines are also included. She
calls these 'appetizers' but most will easily serve as main courses.

Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; October 14 1992.

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