Wonton Soup... and a Gadget

I'm currently in a stage of life where I'm really loving exploring new recipes. Perhaps it's that I finally have my "own" kitchen, or that I actually have the right pots, pans, utensils, etc. to make things, or that I have a car to get to the grocery store, or that I have someone to make and eat dinner with... or a little bit of all those things. But my cooking interests have really intensified, especially since getting married. As I'm getting into this blog and getting excited about "things I could do", I figured I might as well add some stuff about cooking. I am in NO WAY an expert at this -- notice, this is all about "cooking" with no mention of "culinary" -- I'm just a girl trying to find simple, relatively quick recipes that taste good.

A couple nights ago, Josh and I made wonton soup for dinner. While this is something Josh has made before, it was my first attempt with him. The wontons were quite good - and easy. And if I (yeah, I'll take the blame for this one) hadn't tried to experiment with the broth, it probably would have been quite delicious (the broth was still ok - just not fantastic). If you're a lover of wonton soup, or just like trying new things, here's our version of the recipe, taken from Josh's mom and with a few ingredients of our own, filled with a number of approximations, and with a helpful gadget listed at the bottom.

Wonton Soup

Serves 4

Filling (makes 25-30 wontons)

• 30 square wonton skins (make sure they're wonton skins, and that you don't purchase them more than 1-3 days in advance -- they'll go bad fairly quickly)
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten (you can use water for this step if you wish, the egg will work better, though)
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/4 cup shrimp, shelled, deveined, and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon (about) ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons (about) scallion, finely chopped
• pinch of sugar
• pinch of white pepper
• dash of sesame oil

Broth

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons (about) scallion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon (about) cilantro, chopped, to garnish

1. Mix all the filling ingredients together and stir well until the mixture is thick. Set aside for 15-20 minutes.

2. To make the wontons, place a small spoonful (a little more than a teaspoon) of the filling in the middle of a wonton skin. Brush the edges with a little bit of the egg white (or water), and then fold the skin over itself (as if folding it in half to make a rectangle). Squeeze the edges carefully together, making sure the filling is "sealed" in. (This is where you want to check out the handy-dandy gadget at the bottom.)

3. If it's your first time making wontons, about halfway through, start heating the chicken stock (then continue working on making the wontons). If you've done this before - you know your timing. When the stock reaches a boil, add the white pepper, and salt to taste. Add the wontons and boil for about 5 minutes, or until the skins start to wrinkle around the wonton filling.

4. While the wontons are boiling, divide the scallions into the bottom of your bowls, then when the soup is ready, spoon in the wontons. Add cilantro on top.


Now, for all you faux-Asians like me - or just those of you who don't want to fold/press the dumplings by hand - check out this dumpling press from Helen's Asian Kitchen. We got it as a wedding gift from our registry at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and we love it. It definitely makes making wontons/dumplings a LOT easier and faster for my non-Asian self, and Josh doesn't mind it, either. It's also supposed to be good for making things like ravioli, empanadas, potstickers, etc., and at $5, it's nowhere near a hefty investment - just a fun one. So, have fun, and go enjoy some wonton soup.