Simple Wontons
When we find that things are getting tough, a warm, wordless embrace can have more healing power than a logical, point‑by‑point explanation of why things are so difficult. Although I cannot get rid of your pain, I will still stand by your side and stick with you even during the most difficult times. The warmest way of expressing this is through a hug.
Haemin Sunim, Love for Imperfect Things
Personally it’s been a busy few months, with lots of (positive) change. Might still feel like a hug though!
Then just as I was looking forward to a single weekend void of professional responsibilities (for the first time in six years!) – cue lockdown 2.0. Not that my plans went beyond seeing family & friends, long walks, spending time in the kitchen and reviving @onourkitchenisland. Unfortunate nonetheless. Abundantly aware that there are so many people out there far more affected, I’m counting my lucky stars just feeling safe & healthy.
So at a time where a nice big hugs from family or friends might still be few and far between to keep everyone safe, we turn to something that could provide the similar feeling of a warm, wordless embrace – a steaming bowl of soupy wontons!
I love prepping wontons because they are so versatile. Not only can you add what you like to the filling, but you can also freeze them in portions for quick & easy meals on tough days when you just need something comforting. I think these might more typically be filled with a mixture of pork and shrimp, and growing up I had them with mainly pork or beef filling. However, as we are trying to move towards a more plant-rich diet I decided to try out a cabbage x mushroom x mince mixture and it turned out great! You get the meaty flavour from the pork / beef, supplemented by the shiitakes and nicely balanced out by the cabbage. It comes together really nicely.
Wontons must really be one of my greatest go-to comfort foods. I used to make them in big batches at university and freeze them. On busy, cold nights I would just boil them in soup with vegetables and have them with rice or noodles. Even then, I would look forward to going up to New York for the holidays or long weekends where my grand aunt would have steaming bowls of wonton soup at the ready no matter what time of day! A warm, wordless embrace indeed…
Wontons
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 1 inch ginger finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 4 small shallots finely minced
- 4 stalks spring onions finely minced
Sauce
- 2 tbsp soya sauce
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 1 generous drizzle onion oil if you have any on hand
Filling
- 300 g minced pork, beef or mix of choice should not be too lean
- 400 g napa cabbage / wong bok (½ a large cabbage) Chop finely & add 1 tsp salt. Set aside for 15 minutes before squeezing out & discarding the water.
- 100-200 g shiitake mushrooms Chopped finely
Wrapping
- 1 – 2 200g pack packaged thin, round (my preference, square works too) wonton wrappers any extra can be frozen
- 1 small bowl water for sticking
Instructions
- Chop and prepare your ginger, garlic, shallots, spring onions. Set aside.Mix all your sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add the minced meat, 'squeezed' cabbage and shiitake mushrooms to a large bowl. Mix evenly and add your sauce mixture, ginger, garlic, shallots and spring onions. Mix once again.
- Prepare a clean, dry plate to put your folded wontons. Especially if freezing, you will want to keep them dry and separate. Even better would be to line the plate with some baking or wax paper just to make sure they don't stick. Keep your wrappers dry on one side and have the small bowl of water handy to seal the wontons.
- Place one wrapper in your palm, scoop 1 tbs of filling into the centre. Wet a finger and dab the water across an edge of the wrapper. Fold that side upwards into a half moon shape. Now you can just stick both sides together for a flat edge, or fold with pleats per the video below. In this case, only press the middle point together first and begin pleating one side and then the other. I usually just do 4-5 folder per side.Once you are done, press down firmly on the pleated edge to make sure it is securely closed. Place each one on the dry plate apart from each other. Do not stack them, ever!Depending on your wrappers and folding, you can adjust the amount of filling to your liking.
- If eating immediately, just add wontons to boiling soup for 2 – 3 minutes. They are small and will cook quickly. Especially after boiling, be gentle as they may are delicate!If freezing, I would put the whole plate in the freezer for at least an hour. Once frozen, you can divide them into portions and freeze in sealable bags. They will no longer stick at this stage. They can be cooked straight out of the freezer. When added to boiling soup, they still cook quickly – you can see that the skin will get translucent and wontons will float after a few minutes. If unsure, just cut one in half to check.
Notes
Sending everyone big virtual hugs!
