Pork and Ginger Wonton Soup
The wonton soup I grew up with was packed with bok choi, snow peas, water chestnuts and char su-like pink pork that would rotate around these nuggets of wontons and floating skins in a dark broth as if in a spherical aquarium. To me it was delicious and filled with mystical power.
I have a distinct recollection of then making homemade wonton soup with my mother and brother as a child. The excitement over creating something you often take for granted ( as it usually came in a large plastic container from a delivery guy) was just incredible..and oh so rewarding.
All of these memories spawned my lifelong dumpling and wonton mission for the right balance of meat, fat and flavour. These are pretty damn delicious and the best part is that if you buy wonton skins, you might need to do a bit of leg work but they are easy...and it is still satisfying, rewarding and just as mystically powerful today as it was yesterday.
Pork and Ginger Wonton Soup
Ingredients
- 40 square wonton wrappers
- 300 grams (2/3 pound) pork belly, skin removed, ground and minced finely. A high powered food processor will grind this or you can ask your butcher.
- 2 inches fresh ginger minced finely
- 4 green onions minced
- 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon light soy
- 3/4 tablespoon sesame oil
- Pinch of white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (and salt to taste)
- 1/2 chicken or 3 chicken backs3 liters (3 quarts) cold water 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoon sugar1 smashed garlic clove 5 thick slices of fresh gingerPak Choi or Choi Sum Sesame oil to garnishLight soy to garnishCoriander, chilli oil and ginger matchsticks to garnish
Instructions
- For the soup base in a stock pot add the chicken, salt, sugar, garlic and ginger into the water. Bring to a boil then simmer for one hour.
- Sieve everything out. The broth should be quite clear.
- For the wontons mix all of the ingredients really well into a bowl. Test a bit of the meat and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Place one heaping teaspoon of meat in the center of a wonton skin.
- Dab some water on your finger and trace the inner edge of the skin.
- Fold the wonton in half so it makes a triangle shape and seal.
- Now dab the two inner corners of the wonton with water and press the two corners together to seal again.
- Place on a baking tray and repeat until they are done.
- To serve boil the wontons in the stock to order. They should take about 4 minutes and will bob up at the top once done.
- Place a few pieces of choi sum at the bottom of a bowl followed by a splash of soy.
- Pour the hot stock with the wontons over the choi sum.
- Add a drizzle of sesame oil, garnish with coriander, ginger matchsticks and chilli oil and serve.