Crunchy French Onion Chicken

Pan-fried dumplings get an upgrade with the addition of crispy, lacy “wings.”

ingredient

Wrappers

4 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water (about 110°F), plus more as needed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

3/4 pound green cabbage, leaves separated
5 tablespoons chicken stock
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1 3/4 pounds ground pork (not lean)
2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon shoyu
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sake
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Additional Ingredients

5 cups water
7 1/2 teaspoons potato starch, divided, plus more for dusting
3 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral cooking oil, divided
Gyoza sauce
Chile oil

Directions

Place flour, water, sesame oil, and salt in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment or in a large bowl. Beat with mixer on medium speed or combine with your hands until a dough forms; reduce mixer speed to low, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes in mixer or 10 to 15 minutes by hand. If dough isn’t coming together, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. (Dough should be hydrated, but this is a dry dough.) Cover bowl using plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the gluten to relax.
While dough is resting, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high. Add cabbage leaves; cook, undisturbed, until leaves turn vibrant green and are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool enough to handle. Finely chop cabbage. Wrap cabbage in a kitchen towel, and squeeze well over a sink, removing as much water as possible.
Pour chicken stock into a small bowl, and sprinkle with gelatin; let stand until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is firm and jiggly (like Jell-O), about 5 minutes.
Stir together pork, shoyu, sake, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and jellied chicken stock in a large bowl, stirring well using your hands. Add chopped cabbage, scallions, ginger, garlic, and pepper, and stir well until combined. Refrigerate pork mixture until cold and firm, about 30 minutes.
Divide Wrapper dough evenly into 4 portions. Roll each dough portion into an 8-inch-long rope (about 1-inch thick). Cut each rope crosswise into pieces. Cover dough pieces using a damp paper towel. Working with 1 dough piece at a time, use both thumbs to press each piece into a disk on a work surface. Lightly dust disk with potato starch; using a small rolling pin, roll disk into a 3-inch round. Repeat process with remaining 14 dough pieces, stacking and covering Wrappers using plastic wrap to keep Wrappers from drying out. (Alternatively, if you have a hand-crank pasta machine, pass each disk of dough through rollers twice until you have a round that is 3 inches in diameter.)
Working with 1 Wrapper at a time, place about 1 heaping tablespoon of Filling in center of each Wrapper, spreading to within a 1/4-inch from edges. Use a finger dipped in water, moisten outer edge of Wrapper. Fold in half like a taco, but don’t press together to seal. Hold in your dominant hand; using thumb and index fingers of your dominant hand, pinch edge closest to you, and seal. Use thumb and forefinger of your nondominant hand to pleat 1 edge of dough, enclosing filling (taking care that no filling is squeezed out). Crimp seam until the end, making about 5 pleats, squeezing out any excess air as you go.
Whisk together water, potato starch, and flour until well combined. Heat a nonstick 10-inch skillet with 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium. Arrange 12 gyoza in skillet in a pinwheel design. Whisk water mixture well, and pour 1 cup water mixture over gyoza. Cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid; cook, undisturbed, over medium-high until most of water is evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. When oil begins to sizzle and edges turn brown, reduce heat to low; remove lid, and cook until water is completely evaporated and a lacey “wing” forms around gyoza round that is lightly browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a thin, flexible spatula, loosen outer edges of gyoza round from skillet. Lightly shake skillet until gyoza round is released. Place a plate over skillet, and carefully flip gyoza round onto plate. Repeat process with remaining gyoza, water mixture, and canola oil. Serve with gyoza sauce and chile oil.