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On making cloud-like pork and chicken wontons and (short) broth

10/3/2015

20 Comments

 
Wonton 'short' soup by Good Things
For as long as I can remember, I have loved wonton soup. If I close my eyes and wrinkle my nose in deep concentration, I think I can recall the first time I tasted it, sometime in the late 1960s, about the same era that I tasted my first ever 'potato scallop'. But that's another story.

The first wonton or 'short' soup that I ate came from a Chinese restaurant at the same suburban shopping centre where my father had his barber shop, Budapest Hairdressing Salon, which was tucked away at the back of a newsagency. The newsagent and Chinese restaurant are still there. Sadly, my darling daddy is long gone, and he was never one to try Chinese food in any shape or form. 

In one of my most treasured books, The First Happiness - Chinese cooking for Australia, chef, author and teacher, Elizabeth Chong, writes 'Won tons are little dumplings filled with pork or prawns and are enjoyed in a bowl of clear chicken soup. Sometimes they are deep fried and make terrific party food. They are made from very thin noodle pastry dough, which is readily available in Chinese stores.' Indeed, the store bought wonton skins are such good quality, I am loathe to make the dough myself. That could change at some stage, if you happen to have a great recipe, let me know.

Ms Chong continues — and this is my favourite part of her introduction to wontons: '"Won" means cloud and "ton" means swallow, since won ton wrappers are so light and fragile, the experience is like swallowing clouds! Chinese poetic licence, but then why not? They are guaranteed to bring a Chinese out of hiding any time!' 

Such a delightful description, no? It is those cloud like pillows of deliciousness that I like so much, together with the clean chicken broth, which reminds me greatly of my own mother's chicken soup — so heartwarming and delicious that it always made me feel better no matter what. Perhaps that explains why I'm craving these freshly made wontons and clear broth lately. 

I'm sharing here my own recipes for pork and chicken wontons, together with two individual recipes for the broth. One is a simple yet delicious chicken broth, prepared with home made chicken stock and only a couple of additions. The second is an aromatic broth with Thai influences. Both are delicious and nourishing. And the wontons, well they are really good too!

FOR THE WONTONS
40 wonton skins
250g diced pork
250g diced chicken
(OR use 500g store-bought pork mince and chicken mince)
2 teaspoons soy or tamari sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 short lengths of spring onion, the green part, very finely chopped
3 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked in boiling water, squeezed out, then finely chopped

If you are making your own mince for this recipe, use either a food processor, a meat grinder or a Tefal Cuisine Companion with the ultrablade, to process the meat into mince. 

Combine the minced pork and minced chicken in a large Pyrex bowl. Add the soy or tamari sauce, the sesame oil, the grated ginger, the chopped spring onion and the chopped Shiitake mushrooms. Mix all of the ingredients together with your hands, until well combined. Pop the bowl into the refrigerator until you are ready to continue.

To make the wontons, have a small dish of water at the ready. You will use this water around the edges of the wrapper. Dust a dinner plate or chopping board lightly with plain flour. Your wontons will be placed onto this prepared plate, as you work.

Now, place a wonton wrapper in the palm of your hand and scoop a ball of the meat filling with a teaspoon. Transfer the mixture to the centre of the wonton wrapper. Using the tip of a (clean) finger (or a small pastry brush), brush the outer edges of the wonton square with water. Next, bring together the four corners of the wrapper, encasing the filling. Then gently pinch together the wrapper to form a little purse (see my images). Continue with the remaining filling and skins until all done. Place each finished wonton on the floured board or plate. Makes 40.

For keeping, your wontons can now be transferred to a baking sheet lined with parchment and then frozen, before being stored in the freezer compartment in an air tight container. Or, you can cook them and use them immediately, in my short wonton soup (below), or steam them (in a bamboo basket for 15-20 minutes), or deep fry them until they are golden. 

To prepare your wontons for my wonton soup, bring a saucepan of water to the boil and drop some of the wontons into the simmering water. Lower the heat slightly, and cook for up to four minutes, just until the wontons float to the top of the saucepan. Using a slotted spoon or mesh scoop, remove the cooked wontons and place them into soup bowls, which you will top up with hot broth. 

WONTON SOUP BROTH
1 litre good chicken stock
2 teaspoons soy or tamari sauce
ground white pepper, to taste
2 spring onions, finely sliced, for garnish

Bring the chicken stock to boil in a medium sized saucepan, then add the soy or tamari sauce, and season to taste with a little ground white pepper. Pour the boiling broth into small soup bowls over the pre-cooked wontons (see above) and garnish with chopped spring onions. Serves 2. 

AROMATIC WONTON SOUP BROTH 
1 litre good chicken stock
3 kaffir lime leaves
6cm piece lemon grass, bruised
4cm piece fresh galangal, sliced and bruised
1-2 bird's eye chillies, sliced
100g button mushrooms, sliced
2-3 tablespoons fish sauce, to taste
juice of 2-3 fresh limes, to taste
2-3 teaspoons palm sugar syrup, to taste
16 pre-cooked wontons

Pour the chicken stock into a medium sized saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. Place the kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, galangal and chillies into a wide tea infuser or spice egg (or tie them into a piece of muslin, which can be easily removed from the soup) and immerse into the boiling stock. Simmer briefly, then add the mushrooms, simmering gently. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar syrup and salt, then check for flavour and add a little more lime juice, palm sugar or salt if required. Remove the tea infuser, spice egg or muslin. Ladle the soup into bowls, along with the cooked wontons and mushrooms, and serve immediately. Serves 4. 

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Tiny delights - home made wontons by Good Things
A few of the ingredients for making wontons
Use good quality pork and chicken mince
Wrapping the filling in the wonton by Good Things
Home made wonton by Good Things
Wontons all in a row by Good Things
Lots of little wontons by Good Things
Wonton 'short' soup by Good Things (2)

Note and disclaimer: I made my mince using the Tefal Cuisine Companion fitted with the ultrablade. To my absolute delight, the meat was minced to perfection in less than three minutes. I am genuinely proud to have been selected to be a founding member of the Cuisine Companion Club and to have received a Cuisine Companion appliance of my very own for the Good Things kitchen. I should point out, however, that this is not a paid or sponsored post.

Tell me dear friends and fellow cooks, do you enjoy wonton soup? Perhaps you have eaten it as street food in China? Do please share your stories. I love hearing from you! 
20 Comments
Miss Food Fairy link
9/3/2015 10:09:25 pm

Yumm!! These look really good. I just love, love, love dumplings - I make my own all the time. This will be pinned for later, thank you Liz x

Reply
Krista link
9/3/2015 11:00:44 pm

I too love wonton soup, Liz. The delicate broth and savory wontons are pure comfort to me. :-)

Reply
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef link
10/3/2015 01:16:40 am

I love wonton soup. Every Chinese restaurant had that as the main soup offering when I was growing up. I've never made it at home. I've made wontons though and steamed or fried them. Weird that I never thought about making the soup. This looks SO good.

Reply
Gerlinde@sunnycovechef link
10/3/2015 03:56:59 am

I love love wonton soup and just made it last night using frozen store bought pot stickers. Your recipe looks fantastic.

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John @ Kitchen Riffs link
10/3/2015 10:30:40 am

Love wontons! And love wonton soup. I so rarely make my own wontons, though -- I should. Who doesn't love dumplings? Good stuff -- thanks.

Reply
maria younan
10/3/2015 10:44:59 am

They look amazing and I can smell the broth all the way from Melbourne! Will definitely be making these :)

Reply
Eha
10/3/2015 12:48:27 pm

You have just made me make a change in the weekly menu again: actually have all ingredients at home and it will be the aromatic broth 'cause you add a couple of things I don't! Oh I remember my first bowl of won ton soup also and it was in the early 60s . . . but until today I never knew the meaning of the words: thank you Milady :) !

Reply
Liz link
10/3/2015 02:03:53 pm

I remember my first wonton soup, too! It was in Aspen in the '70's---a rare occasion where my parents took us all out for dinner. I fell in love instantly. I love the shape of your wontons---just gorgeous!!!

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Joanne T Ferguson link
10/3/2015 03:09:25 pm

G'day This looks delicious Lizzy and wish I could come through the screen and try some today!
Cheers! Joanne

Reply
Tandy | Lavender and Lime link
10/3/2015 07:13:08 pm

I have never tried wonton soup - and I must remedy that. Yours looks delicious. I have been thinking I need to start learning some Chinese cooking :)

Reply
Glamorous Glutton link
11/3/2015 06:48:42 am

I love wonton soup too, but it's never occurred to me to make it myself. This looks so delicious and really fresh, I have to give it a go. GG

Reply
InTolerant Chef link
11/3/2015 02:45:09 pm

Just what I'd love right now, a great big bowl please Liz! Absolutely delicious indeed x

Reply
Charmaine
11/3/2015 03:21:39 pm

Love wonton soup; one of my comfort food. When I first came to Oz, I was confused by the terminology long and short soup. I like to add chestnuts (usually get the frozen ones from Asian stores) for some crunch to my wonton,

Reply
Eha
11/3/2015 05:25:07 pm

Don't worry, Charmaine! Remember a rather eager 'boyfriend-to-be' taking me to the only then reputable Chinese restaurant on Pitt St near Martin Place in Sydney in the late 1950s and ordering 2x 'long an short soup' + twice 'sweet-and -sour-pork' . . . . and our 'giving up' half way down the soup . . . well, as long as we pad :) ! Who on earth had taught us :) ?

Reply
Hotly Spiced link
11/3/2015 03:21:40 pm

I do love the look of your wontons and the spicy broth would be my choice. It sounds like the cuisine companion is proving very useful xx

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David Scott Allen link
14/3/2015 03:53:48 am

These cloud-like dumplings would be heaven-like in my tummy! You know I will be trying them soon, right?

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Anna Johnston link
16/3/2015 06:51:50 pm

Wonton soup is like my alllllllllll time fave thing to eat eva!!! :D
Have been eating these kind of foods since I got home from my Asian adventures in Jan, will def give your recipe a whirl. Mmmm

Reply
Sara | Belly Rumbles link
18/3/2015 10:55:34 pm

Ohhh My Goodness, these wontons are a thing of beauty. Wonton soup is one of my most favourite things in the world. Did you know it makes a rocking hang over cure.

Reply
Elizabeth link
3/4/2015 10:29:56 pm

My local make a wonderful woton soup, that is so fresh and tasty and has with wonderfully clear soup, so full of flavour and for only $6 it kind of makes it hard to get the motivation to make it myself... but you make it look so easy! Thanks for sharing. Liz xx

Reply
kellie@foodtoglow link
19/3/2016 05:19:51 am

I didn't know that about the word wonton! Good to know. I always learn something from you, Liz. These do indeed love like clouds. :-)

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    Photo of Liz Posmyk, Food Writer, Cook and Traveller

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Good Things is written and published by Liz Posmyk © 2011-2020.   All rights reserved.
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