How to Use Your Ground Sockeye to Make Homemade Salmon Dumplings

1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle shredded cabbage and diced onions with about a teaspoon of salt — no need to measure here, just use enough to generously season the mixture. Set aside for about 10 minutes, allowing the salt to pull some of the water from the vegetables.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium heat with enough oil or butter to coat the bottom of pan. Add shiitake and ginger and sauté, stirring occasionally. Keep the oil or butter nearby in case the pan starts looking dry so that you can add a dash more fat when needed.

3. After about 5 minutes, or when the mushrooms have picked up some color, stir in garlic and scallions and let cook for another minute until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add soy sauce to season the mixture, giving everything a stir until just absorbed, then transfer contents of pan to a small heat-safe bowl and set aside.

4. Slide the saucepan off the hot burner for a moment. Then, using your hands, squeeze the cabbage and onion mixture — don’t be shy! — to drain off excess moisture. Discard any liquid that has collected in bottom of bowl.

5. Move pan back to the hot burner, then add cabbage and onions to cook over medium heat for a few minutes until they begin to soften, stirring occasionally.

6. Switch off the burner, then transfer cabbage and onions to the bowl containing your mushroom mixture, stirring to combine. Set aside until mixture has cooled enough to handle with your hands; you can give it a couple of stirs to speed things up.

7. When veggie mixture is sufficiently cooled, add ground salmon to the bowl along with sesame oil and vinegar or (kimchi juice), using a spoon or spatula to gently break up the meat until everything looks evenly distributed. Optional: Take a moment to cook a small spoonful of the dumpling filling in your saucepan and give it a taste. Does it need more salt? More acidity? Use your palate to adjust seasonings of raw mixture as needed.

8. Get your dumpling station set up: Open up the package of dumplings wrappers and set them underneath a damp tea towel to keep them from drying out. If you’re planning to cook your dumplings right away, set out a sheet of parchment paper on the counter and another damp tea towel large enough to cover it. If you’re planning to freeze the dumplings, set up your parchment paper and tea towel onto something flat that you can slide into your freezer. A baking sheet is good, but a tray or platter works fine as well — anything that gives you enough space to hold a couple dozen dumplings in a single layer so that they can “flash freeze.”

9. One at a time, you’ll wet the edges of a wrapper with water — this helps to “reactivate” the dough so that it can seal — then fill each one with about a tablespoon of filling. Don’t overfill the dumpling wrappers, as they won’t seal when too full. Fold the wrapper in half, then pinch or pleat the edges together until well-sealed. Set finished dumplings on parchment and cover with a tea towel. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the filling. Pro tip: For a visual reference on how to seal your dumplings, Just One Cookbook has a helpful step-by-step slideshow.

10. If you’re freezing the dumplings, remove the tea towel and replace with plastic wrap before moving the sheet or tray to the freezer. Allow the dumplings to freeze completely before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag for long-term storage. For best quality, enjoy your wild sockeye salmon gyoza within a month of freezing.

11. When you’re ready to cook either frozen or fresh dumplings (frozen dumplings should be cooked straight from the freezer), heat up a large, clean pan over medium-high heat with just enough cooking oil to cover the surface. When the oil begins to shimmer, place dumplings in pan with the flat side down. Don’t overcrowd them, as they will expand later as they steam. Fry for a minute or two until the bottoms of the dumplings are nicely golden brown, then carefully pour about ¼ inch of water into the pan. Cover with a lid to steam the dumplings.

12. Meanwhile, mix up a small bowl of dipping sauce: Use equal parts soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, add a pinch or two of sugar, and hit it with a dash of togarashi if you like some heat. Stir to combine, then garnish with sesame seeds.

13. When the water in your pan has nearly evaporated, remove the lid and fry the dumplings until the pan is dry, allowing the bottoms of the dumplings to crisp up again. Transfer dumplings to a serving platter and serve immediately, with dipping sauce on the side.

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.