This is a very simple dish, but don’t worry – the umami game is strong! Plump, silky smooth wontons in a rich Chinese broth make this a superb, soul-warming soup. And you’ll have lots of leftover dumplings too, ready to pop into the freezer… winning!
8 cups chicken stock
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 spring onions (scallions), plus extra finely sliced spring onions to serve
4cm (1.57 inch) piece ginger, sliced
1 tbsp dried shrimp (optional)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
Pork & prawn wontons:
150g (5.3 oz)pork mince
150g (5.3 oz) minced prawns
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
a pinch of ground white pepper
½ tsp sesame oil
¼ cup chicken stock
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 egg
40 wonton wrappers
Place the chicken stock, garlic, spring onions, ginger, dried shrimp and soy sauce in a large pot. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
In the meantime, make your wontons. In a large bowl add the pork, prawns, ginger, pepper, sesame oil, chicken stock, cornflour and egg. Use chopsticks or a spoon to vigorously mix the ingredients together until well combined and sticky. Place a heaped teaspoon of mixture into the centre of a wonton wrapper. Moisten the edges with water. Fold the wrapper over the filling to form a triangle. Moisten the 2 side points of the triangle and then bring them together and press firmly. Place the wonton onto a large tray and repeat the process with the remaining filling and wrappers.
You’ll have far more wontons than you need for 4 serves. If you’re not using all the wontons immediately, freeze them on the tray. Then when they’re firm, transfer them to smaller bags/containers. You can cook them from frozen.
Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve and pour it back into a clean saucepan. Season with salt to taste. Keep warm.
Bring a separate pot of water to the boil and cook the wontons in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until the filling is cooked. Use a slotted spoon to drain the wontons and divide among serving bowls. Ladle over the warm broth and sprinkle with finely sliced spring onions.
