Shizuoka, where our Japanese Sencha green tea is sourced from, has long been famed for its clear waters, volcanic soils and natural beauty. The area is known for being particularly suited for the cultivation of green tea as a result of diverse terroir, and tea here is enjoyed alongside deliciously light, fresh cuisine – especially gyoza. Adding a British twist to the dipping sauce – rhubarb – really makes this dish sing.
PAIR WITH
JING Japanese Sencha Green Tea
Chef Rob Roy's rationale when creating this pairing started with the texture of the tea, which is thick and silky; the fatty nature of minced pork belly serves to enhance this characteristic. The tasting notes for Sencha have some green fruit, so the choice of rhubarb in the soy not only imparts a British touch, but adds an acidity that gives this sauce a longer finish, cuts through the salinity and draws the natural sweetness from the prawns and tea.
RECIPE
JING Japanese Sencha Green Tea Pairing
Pork & Prawn Gyoza with Rhubarb Soy
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
For the Rhubarb Soy
500ml Light Soy Sauce
250g Chopped Rhubarb
For the filling
15g Dry Shitakes
500g Minced Pork Belly
200g Chopped Prawns
7g Sesame Sauce
17g Light Soy Sauce
80g Finely Chopped water chestnut
80g Finely Chopped Scallion
10g Salt
For the gyozas
1 Pack of Dumpling Wrappers
METHOD
For the Soy
Cut the rhubarb into small pieces and fill a kilner jar and cover with the soy sauce. Leave to steep for at least one month - the longer the better
For the Filling
Mix all the ingredients together and store
For the Gyoza
- Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of your wrapper and fold. Lightly pinch both sides of your wrapper in the centre point of the dumpling’s seam.
- While firmly holding the seam with your thumb and index finger, use your index and middle finger of your other hand to fold a small portion of the wrapper towards the centre of the seam to create your first pleat. Be sure to only use one side of the wrapper to form the pleat. The other side should be smooth.
- Add more pleats, working away from the centre seam. You should end up with three evenly spaced pleats on one side of your dumpling.
- Repeat the entire process on the other side using your other hand.
- Warm a pan on medium heat with a little oil.
- Arrange the gyozas fold side up on the pan and cook until golden brown.
- Once the base is golden brown fill with water half way up the dumplings and cover.
- Cook until the water has evaporated.
The JING Origins Explorer has been carefully curated to include a selection of single-origin JING loose leaf teas that deliver extraordinary taste. Teas that carry the distinctive signature of their origin and people; expressing the unique essence of terroir and tea master.
Each JING Origins Explorer comes with 5-samples of the finest loose-leaf teas from Asia’s famous tea regions, and a guide filled with stories of origin, and how to get the best from the teas at home. An ideal tea gift for foodies at Christmas, the teas were selected by JING’s Head of Tea, Tom Price, who has spent more than a decade scouring Asia for teas of exceptional quality.
