Taking inspiration from his mother's celebrated gyoza, San Francisco-based chef Sylvan Mishima Brackett revolutionizes the beloved Japanese dumpling for his restaurant, "Rintaro". Offering generous, hand-crafted, dumplings bursting with 'chicken foot jelly', Brackett's gyoza strays from traditional proportions and brings an other-worldly culinary delight to the table. "The gyoza at our establishment are larger than the standard Japanese variety and owe their uniqueness to the addition of a gelatin-rich chicken stock folded into the meat mixture. The tactful introduction of this stock results in dumplings that reveal a pool of surprise once bitten into," shares Brackett. Gyoza, originally known as jiaozi in China, refers to meat and vegetable-filled parcels enfolded in thin dough. These dumplings can either be deep-fried, fried, or steamed, each method adding unique nuances to the dish. Thinking about making space for them in your freezer? You can easily do so by freezing uncooked gyoza on a rimmed baking sheet, then transferring them to an air-tight container. Ready-and-waiting gyoza can be cooked straight from frozen, saving valuable time when hunger strikes. Brackett's distinct gyoza starts with a base comprising homemade all-purpose flour wrappers and a filling loaded with ingredients like green cabbage, ground pork, shoyu, sake, scallions, ginger, and garlic, among others. A crucial part of the preparation involves integrating the jellified chicken stock into the meat mixture and letting it cool and firm for about half an hour. Careful folding and pan-cooking follows, sealed with the crowning introduction of a sprinkle of sesame oil for added toasting. Each of the gyoza is arranged in a skillet, covered with a starch-water-flour combination, and cooked till most water evaporates leaving a crispy 'wing'. The end result is a plateful of larger-than-life gyoza bound to leave your taste buds enthralled. This article's lip-smacking tale of creativity and culinary ingenuity concludes with recognition of the source. The ingenious recipe discussed is credited to Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California, courtesy of Hardie Grant 2023, where it was generously shared with due permission.