I discovered what Traditional Pork and Shrimp Wontons, made with care from fresh ingredients, could become. The smell of the filling with fresh shrimp, rich ground pork, ginger, scallion and sesame oil nearly convinced me to eat a raw spoonful. When eaten fresh, the noodles remain firm, and the bright pink of the shrimp and the green of the scallion showing through the translucent wrapper is quite beautiful. Wonton is translated literally as swallowed clouds, and upon tasting these Traditional Pork and Shrimp Wontons, you will understand why. The combination of shrimp and pork, which seems so unusual and would rarely, if ever, be seen in Western cooking, is perfect.
Easy Traditional Pork and Shrimp Wontons
Print RecipeIngredients
- 12 ounces ground pork
- 6 ounces shrimp, cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 5 scallions, sliced thin
- 3 fresh water chestnuts, finely diced or 3 tablespoons jicama, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons sake
- 1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 package square wonton wrappers, I prefer the yellow ones, made with egg
- additional sesame oil
Instructions
1. To make the filling, add the ingredients, from the pork, through the egg, to a large bowl. Mix together with your hands to make a cohesive filling. Refrigerate for a few hours until firm.
2. To form the wontons, place a few wontons on a clean, flat work surface. Have a pastry brush and a small bowl of water ready. A corner of each wrapper should point toward you. Brush with water the two edges of each wrapper that is closest to you with water. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wonton. Fold the top half of the wonton down over the bottom, sealing the wet edges, and pressing out any air bubbles with your fingers. You will now have triangles, with one corner pointing towards you. Take the other two corners, and fold them towards the center of the wonton, overlapping them and pressing them together to seal. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat until you run out of filling. You should have about 40 wontons.
3. Plunge the wontons into well-salted boiling water in batches, whose size should depend on the size of your pasta pot. You do not want the water to stop boiling for very long. After about 5 minutes, when the wontons float, and you can see the pink of the shrimp show through the wrapper, remove them from the water to a large bowl, splash with sesame and toss to coat.
Note: Wontons can be served in several different ways. They also can be served in a dipping sauce, composed of a few large splashes of each light soy sauce and chicken stock, a splash of rice vinegar seasoned with sugar and white pepper and finished with sliced scallions. If you like heat, you can coat them with a fiery, red oil made from infusing peanut oil with fresh cayenne pepper in the style of Sichuan. In a saucepan or wok, bring a cup of peanut oil and 1/4 cup of ground fresh cayenne peppers to a gentle simmer for a few minutes. Allow the pepper to sink to the bottom as the oil cools, and toss the wontons with the infused oil instead of sesame oil.
