Wonton

By: Margaret Fulton
From: Margaret Fulton Favourites
Serves: 4-6
Makes: 30
Photographer: Tanya Zouev and Armelle Habib

I had my first lesson in making wonton in the 1950s. Lean Sun Low was a restaurant in Dixon Street in Sydney’s Chinatown. Like in many Chinese restaurants, when there was a lull, staff would sit at one of the tables preparing food. As I was a curious, regular customer, they shared the secret of making the delicate morsels that were an essential ingredient in the short soup that I loved.

Wonton, which in Chinese means ‘swallowing clouds’, are boiled and served in a broth — short soup — or served in a broth with noodles — long and short soup. They can also be fried and served with sweet and sour sauce, or shaped into money bags and steamed to become dim sim (steamed dumplings).

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
3	fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms
100g	green prawns, shelled, deveined and coarsely diced
125g	minced pork
2 tablespoons	chopped spring onions
6	canned or freshly peeled water chestnuts, finely diced
1 teaspoon	grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon	light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon	salt
250g	wonton wrappers
6-8	* chicken stock [rid:7474]

Method

If using dried mushrooms, soak them in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain and discard stems. Slice the mushrooms finely. In a bowl combine the mushrooms, prawns, minced pork, spring onions, water chestnuts, ginger, soy sauce and salt. Mix well.
Place 1 teaspoon of mixture in the centre of each wrapper and moisten the edges with a little water. Fold in two diagonally, pressing the moistened edges together and using thumbs to press down on the pastry around the filling to secure and centre it. Next, fold one of the corners from the long edge across and secure by moistening to the opposite fold. Each wonton should now be a triangle with three distinct corners, rather like a nurse’s cap.
As each wonton is finished, place it on a tray lined with plastic wrap. At this point the wonton can be covered and refrigerated until ready to cook.
To cook, lower the wonton a few at a time into gently simmering stock in a large saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times at the beginning, until the wonton rise to the surface. Drain using a slotted spoon.

Short soup

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
	see method for ingredients

Method

Ladle wonton and broth into bowls and serve garnished with a few chopped spring onions.

Long and short soup

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
	see method for ingredients

Method

While the wonton are cooking, prepare 1 packet of egg noodles. Have a large bowl of cold water and a large saucepan of boiling water ready. Loosen the noodles gently with your fingers. Lower the noodles into the boiling water for 30 seconds, stirring constantly with chopsticks. Lift the noodles out with tongs and plunge into cold water for 30 seconds, then lift out and place into boiling water again for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Drain and transfer to serving bowls. Add the wonton and ladle the hot broth over. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of chopped spring onions and drizzle each serving with a little sesame oil.

Fried wonton

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
	see method for ingredients

Method

To fry wonton, fill a wok with 5 cm of oil and heat until hot. Carefully lower the wonton into the oil in small batches. When they are cooked, the wonton will be golden and will rise to the surface. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve piping hot with sweet and sour sauce.

Dim sim (steamed dumplings)

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
	see method for ingredients

Method

Prepare one quantity of wonton, but instead of folding each wonton wrapper diagonally, gently squeeze the wrapper around the filling to resemble a money bag. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Rub the base of each tier of a wooden steamer with a little oil and place the dim sim in the steamer, leaving a space between them.
Place the steamer in a wok or saucepan filled with about 3 cm of simmering water. Cover and steam for 15 minutes. Serve piping hot with light soy, chilli or sweet and sour sauce for dipping.

Note

Bamboo and metal steamers, available at Asian food stores, have three layers, so you can cook a large number of dumplings at one time. This is great for entertaining.