Wontons in Sichuan Chili Oil
Recipe byTo simplify cooking the wontons, I suggest that you use a kitchen spider. Spread a batch of wontons in the spider, lower the spider into the simmering broth, lift when the wontons are done and move them to a plate. Repeat for the next and subsequent batches.
Ingredients
Sichuan chili oil
- 3 slices ginger
- 1 red onion halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic lightly pounded
- 1 ¼ cups cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons dried chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Pork and shrimp wonton filling
- 200 grams ground pork with at least 20% fat
- 100 grams shrimps peeled, deveined and finely minced
- 2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
- ¼ cup finely chopped carrot
- ½ teaspoon grated garlic
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 shiitake (caps only), finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame seed oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Chili oil sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
- 2 tablespoons rice wine
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon grated garlic
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon sugar
To make and cook the wontons
- 1 pack wonton skins round or square
- 4 to 6 cups bone broth
Instructions
Make the Sichuan chili oil
- Arrange the ginger, onion, star anise, bay leaves, cumin and garlic on the bottom of a thick frying pan so that they are in a single layer.
- Pour in the cooking oil.
- Over very low heat, cook the spices until softened and lightly browned. Be extra careful not to burn them.
- While the spices cook, whisk together the chili flakes, five-spice powder and sesame seeds in large HEAT-PROOF bowl.
- When the spices are nicely browned, strain the oil directly into the chili flakes mixture. Stir.
- Discard the browned spices because all their flavors are already in the oil.
- Cover the Sichuan chili oil loosely and leave to steep for at least three hours.
Mix the wonton filling
- In a bowl, mix together the ground pork, shrimps, carrot, scallions, shiitake, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper.
- In another bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, sesame seed oil, sugar and cornstarch to make a thin paste.
- Pour the starch mixture over the ground pork mixture. Mix well.
- Cover the bowl and allow to marinate in the fridge while the chili oil cools.
Make the chili oil sauce
- In a large glass measuring cup, mix together all the ingredients for the chili oil sauce until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Note how much sauce you have and pour in an equal amount of chili oil. Whisk.
Make and cook the wontons
- Separate the wonton skins.
- Place a wonton skin on your palm and place a teaspoonful of filling at the center (less if your wonton skin is small).
- Dab the edges of the wonton skin with water.
- Fold in the edges of the wonton skin and press to seal.
- Repeat until all the filling has been used or until you run of of wonton skins, whichever happens first.
- Heat the bone broth in a pan and bring to simmering.
- Drop in the wontons in batches and cook for five to 10 minutes, depending on their size.
Serve the wontons
- Arrange wontons on a plate or shallow bowl.
- Drizzle chili oil sauce generously over them.
- Sprinkle with finely sliced scallions, optionally, before serving.
Notes
Dear Hong Kong, I miss you and I hope to visit again soon.
Updated from a recipe originally published in July 26, 2020