Jalapeño Cheese Age-Gyoza (揚げ餃子 の ハラペーニョ チーズ)

Normally here in the United States, we'd call these "Jalapeño Cheese Wontons", but since these are inspired by Honda-ya's Cheese Age, I thought it appropriate to called them gyoza instead.

Izakaya Honda-ya is our go-to place for a cheap but satisfying night out. Late on a Monday or Tuesday normally doesn't draw a crowd, they don't mind us lingering and ordering sporadically throughout the evening.



One of our favorite indulgent dishes is their Cheese Age, which means "fried cheese" but is so much more and very crave-able.

Luckily for you, it's also very simple to make. With just four ingredients, and the ability to prep these ahead, these are a great party snack.

Age (pronounce ahh-gay) means "fried" in Japanese, so age-gyoza means simply "fried dumpling." I'm still working on my Japanese grammar and sentence structure, so feel free to correct me in the comments regarding the Japanese title.

I find twelve to be a good amount for when Mr. Mochi, the Bro-chi, and I want something hot 'n cheesy, but you can obviously make as many as you feel like frying up.

Jalapeño Cheese Age-Gyoza (揚げ餃子 の ハラペーニョ チーズ)

12 gyoza wrappers (square or round)
Velveeta cheese block
1 jar sliced jalapenos
water
canola oil or similar

Cut the Velveeta into six 1/4" slices, then halve the slices so you have 12 pieces. You can try and make the cheese a little bigger than in my photos, but not too much because you don't want your gyoza to explode.

Place one piece of cheese in the center of a gyoza wrapper and top with one slice of jalapeno. Using some plain water, brush the edges of the wrapper and press to seal.

You can make these in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge for several days. I haven't tried prepping and freezing them yet, so I can't speak to that. Another option, since the prep is so fast on these guys, is to just chop the cheese in advance, so all you have to do is wrap them up.

Pour about 1-2" of oil in the bottom of a saucepan or dutch oven. Over medium-high heat, heat the oil to 350°F and plop the gyoza carefully into the oil. Fry until browned and crispy, and drain on a paper towel. Serve hot.

See Also:
Renkon Chips
Hatch Chile and Smoked Cheddar Cornsticks
Dorilocos