Wanton Wontons

General Won Tan scored a major victory over the Mongols way back before the first Christmas was even thought of, and to commemorate this victory a special dish was created and named after the General. Private Soo was the one tagged to prepare the treat for the general, and knowing what happens to privates who serve slop to a general, Soo was more than a little worried – he was fairly fond of his head and wanted to keep it right where it was. To add to Soo’s dilemma was the fact the campaign had been long and hard and all that was left of the food supply were some pork scraps, a couple shrimp, a bag of flour, and some chicken broth. He glanced over and watched the general sharpening his rather large sword and got right to work coming up with the first bowl of what became known as Won Tan soup. The general loved the soup so Soo was spared and lived right up until the General Tso debacle, where he discovered the general didn’t buy the blackened chicken story. As far as the soup, General Won Tan was quickly lost in the pages of history (that’s why you won’t find any references to him if you try to look it up) and the name slowly morphed into “wonton,” as it is known to this very day.

If you order wonton in China the cook will spoon up some wontons boiled in a spicy broth, here you’ll usually find them fried up into a crispy appetizer. It is easy to follow in Soo’s footsteps, while retaining your noggin, and make wontons at home.

The main problem with making wontons is they get eaten faster than they are made. I use a food processor to make the filling, but chopping the ingredients really fine works as well. You can make the wrappers as well, but I found it easier to buy the readymade skins at the market. Push comes to shove you can quarter some egg roll wrappers.

The filling:

½ lbs ground pork

3 large shrimp (1/2 small can of shrimp pieces can be substituted)

4 slices of water chestnut

1Tsp grated ginger

1Tsp minced garlic

1Tsp minced scallion (green onion)

1 Tsp light soy sauce (Pearl River Bridge works best)

1Tsp Oyster flavored sauce

1Tsp Dry rice wine or dry sherry

½Tsp Sesame Oil

Place the water chestnuts and scallions in the processor, pulse to chop them fine, then add the rest of the ingredients and turn them into a paste.

Open the package or wrappers, place them on a plate and cover with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.  Before starting the filling process fill a pan or wok 2/3 full with peanut oil, and heat until around 350F. As the pan is heating you can begin filling.

To Fill:

Dissolve 1Tsp of cornstarch in 1Tbs of water, this will act as a glue to hold the edges of the wrappers together. Place a wrapper in front of you so it resembles a diamond, dip a finger tip in the cornstarch solution (might have to give it a bit of a stir from time to time as the cornstarch will settle), moisten the edges of the wrapper, and then drop about ½ Tsp of filling in the center. Try not to overload the wonton, experimenting a bit will reveal how much to place in the center, but ½ tsp should be about right.  Fold the wonton wrapper over so it resembles a triangle and press the edges to seal. Moisten the outside corners of the folded edge with a dab of cornstarch solution, bring them back towards you and press the tips together. The finished product should resemble a large tortellini. Store the finished wontons on a tray and cover with a paper towel.

Frying:

Carefully drop the wontons in the hot oil and fry until the outside is golden brown and crispy. Only place three to four wontons at a time into the pan to avoid overcrowding and use a slotted spoon or spider (wire basket on a handle) to scoop the wontons out of the hot oil. Be extraordinarily careful with the oil as I am here to tell you an oil burn really, really hurts. Also ensure no small children or huskies are in the vicinity and never ever leave the pan of oil unattended. You can place the finished wontons on a rack placed on a cookie tray and stash the rig in a warm oven.

Leftover filling or wrappers can be frozen for next time. I like making these for Chinese New Year’s or if I have the gang over for a Chinese meal. As I eat them I like to think of Ol’ General Won Tan and thank him for kicking the Mongol’s backsides so we could have this delicate little cloud of flavor.

Note: Kitchen fires are no joke. I keep a fire extinguisher that is rated for paper, electrical, and grease fires near the stove, even take one out with me when I grill.  Treat hot grease with due respect and always remember water and hot grease are not friends so keep them apart. I use a fry daddy so I have more control over the temperature, but all rules still apply.