Spring Gyoza with Shiitake, Chives, Radish and Roasted Garlic

Ingredients

• 1
  
  head garlic, 1/2 ” trimmed from the bottom with a sharp knife
  
• 5
  
  fresh shiitake mushrooms, scrubbed, stems removed
  
• 6-8
  
  pink radishes (Easter Egg or Pink Beauty), scrubbed, trimmed, sliced 1/8”
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon +1 teaspoon chives, finely chopped
  
• 1
  
  medium garlic clove, minced
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon lemon zest (from about ½ regular lemon)
  
• 
  
  Pinches of salt
  
• 3
  
  tablespoons canola oil, divided
  
• 
  
  Drizzle of olive oil
  
• 
  
  Drizzle of sesame oil
  
• 
  
  12-14 round gyoza wrappers
  
• 
  
  Chili oil for serving (see recipe below)
  
• 
  
  Tamari for serving
  
• 
  
  Black Sesame for serving (optional)
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place trimmed garlic in the center of a square piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, wrap tightly, place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. When cool, squeeze roasted garlic out of papery skin into a small bowl. Set aside (Can do a day in advance; cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use).
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a 12” nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shiitake mushrooms, cap side down, season with a small pinch of salt, and cook until browned and slightly crisp, about two minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook for two minutes more, pressing down on mushroom slightly. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Remove pan from heat.
3. While mushrooms are cooking, stack radish rounds and evenly chop into small pieces. Repeat until you have 2/3 cups of chopped radish. Eat any remaining radish.
4. Replace pan on hot burner, add radish pieces and quickly cook in remaining oil from mushrooms. Drizzle with ¼ t sesame oil, and stir for 15 seconds. Transfer to a medium sized bowl to cool. Remove pan from heat and briefly turn off stove.
5. Once mushrooms are cool, finely chop by thinly slicing each cap lengthwise and then crosswise.
6. Add mushrooms to cooled radishes, followed by chives, roasted garlic, raw minced garlic, and lemon zest. Stir well to combine. Mixture should be slightly sticky from the roasted garlic.
7. Fill gyoza wrappers by placing a little less than a Tablespoon of filling towards the bottom half of each circle. Moisten the edge of the circle by outlining with a pastry brush dipped in water (your finger works equally well). Fold down the top of the wrapper, covering the filling, and seal edge by making six pleats in the top half, gently pinching as you go. Repeat until you have used all the filling. I was able to make 14.
8. Wipe skillet out if necessary. Add 1-Tablespoon oil and heat until just shimmering. Add 6 gyoza, sealed side up (so they are sitting upright in the pan) and cook until browned, about a minute. Push them over so pleated top is facing up and cook until brown. Repeat with pleated side. Add ¼ cup water to pan, cover, and turn down heat. Cook until water has evaporated and gyoza are ready, about three minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and gyoza. Drizzle finished gyoza with chili oil and just a little tamari (it is very rich and salty and too much will overpower all the other flavors). Sprinkle with black sesame if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy while hot.
9. To make your own chili oil (adapted from description on Penzey’s website): Heat 2 T canola oil in a small skillet until shimmering. Add 10 dried chiles, with stems removed (I used Chili de Arbol chiles). Cook, stirring until chilies are dark but not burned, 3-4 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add 1/4 cup canola oil, plus a teaspoon or two of sesame oil. Allow oil to cool completely. Strain solids and seeds out of oil. Transfer to a clean glass jar, store in refrigerator. Chili oil will keep for about a month.