Homemade Pork Wontons
If you’ve never made wontons before, making your own can seem daunting, but wontons are actually simple as well as fun to make. The hardest part is filling them because the process can be time consuming. That's why filling wontons- or any dumpling- is a family event at our house. After the filling is made, we all sit down at the table and talk while filling these little morsels of love. And of course, after the wontons are filled, we all get to eat together--it’s the perfect family time!
This recipe uses simple ingredients that are easily found. Wonton wrappers are available at most grocery stores. You’ll often find them in the produce or dairy section. If you have a choice, pick out the white square wrappers. The only ingredient that might be hard to find is Shaoxing wine. Many well-stocked liquor stores carry it, but if you can’t find it, sherry or mirin make a good substitute. The sauces for these wontons are simply our Sweet Aromatic Soy Sauce and as much or as little Chili Oil as you like. These sauces are easy to make and you’ll be glad to have them in the fridge to flavor simple dishes such as steamed veggies or scrambled eggs.
A few tips to make your first attempt at wontons a success:
- When filling your wontons, less is more. Just a little dab of filling instead of overstuffing will make sure your wontons won’t explode while cooking.
- When pressing your wontons closed, press from the center to the edge of the wrapper to press out any air bubbles
- Adding ginger to your water seems like a simple step, but it really does make a difference in the flavor of the finished wontons.
- Cooking the wontons in stages keeps these delicate little morsels intact. Don't be tempted to just boil them until cooked.
So let’s get to cooking!
- ½ inch ginger (ginger root, crushed)
- 1 cup Water
- 5 ounce Pork (ground pork)
- ½ Egg (beaten)
- 1 tsp Shaoxing Wine
- ½ tsp Sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon White Peppercorn
- 2 tablespoons Shitake Mushroom Powder
- 3 tablespoon Spring onion greens (finely sliced)
- 1 package Wonton Wrappers
- 3-4 tablespoons Aromatic Soy Sauce
- 5-6 tablespoons Chili Oil
- 2-4 teaspoons Garlic (crushed fresh garlic)
- 2 tablespoons Green onions (sliced)
Crush the ginger root with the side of a knife and put it in a cup of water.
In a medium bowl, combine the pork, egg, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt, pepper, mushroom powder, and 1 tablespoon of the ginger water. Stir well. One tablespoon at a time, stir in two additional tablespoons of ginger water. Finally stir in the green onions. Stir until they are thoroughly dispersed throughout the meat mixture.
Take a wonton wrapper and lay it flat in your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Dip a finger in the ginger water, run it around the edge of the wrapper, and fold the wrapper in half. Press the edges together. Set aside on a tray or plate being careful not to touch or overlap other wontons.
After filing all your wrappers, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water as you would pasta water. When the water has come to a boil, drop in 8-10 wontons. When the water returns to a boil, pour in 1 cup of cold water. Repeat this process one more time. After the water has come to a boil the third time, scoop one out and check to be sure the filling is cooked completely.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the wontons.
Place wontons in 3-4 bowls. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of Aromatic Soy Sauce and 1 ½ tablespoons of Chili Oil. Sprinkle each bowl with crushed fresh garlic and sliced green onions.
Enjoy!
