Shrimp Pork and Chicken Wontons

SHRIMP, PORK & CHICKEN WONTONS

It’s not easy to put your finger on the exact meaning of San Xian Wontons. Because the filling is made up of not just shrimp but also pork and poultry, I suppose that “Triple Delight Wontons” would be a reasonable translation. Don’t assume an Americanized takeout meal just because of the name. To the contrary!

There is a premium placed on San Xian Wontons because of their perceived superiority, and this is something that is always taken into account by the restaurant when setting their prices. The fact that you can’t order them out makes it all the more important to master the recipe at home. In this recipe for San Xian Wontons, I used shrimp, pork, and chicken; if you don’t eat pig, you may substitute finely chopped fish fillets.

The wonton soup I’ve learned to cook is one of many possible variations. This is a long list, so please be patient.

There are roughly 7 dozen in this recipe for San Xian Wontons.

Is a tasty reward in order? Let’s get going!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 packages of wonton wrappers
• 8 ounces of coarsely chopped peeled and deveined shrimp
• 8 ounces of preferably hand-chopped ground pork
• 8 ounces of preferably hand-chopped ground chicken
• ½ cup of water
• ¼ cup of finely chopped scallion
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of finely minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
• ½ tablespoon of sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon of ground white pepper
• handful of leafy greens

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix the shrimp, pork, chicken, ginger, scallions, oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and water together to produce the filling. For about 5-10 minutes, using a rubber spatula, stir and fold in one direction until the mixture is sticky and resembles a paste.
2. Get ready a large sheet pan covered with parchment paper. I want you to get me a bowl of ice water. Finally, boil a small saucepan of water and test the filling.
3. To make wontons, get a square wonton wrapper, wet your finger, and dab it on one side, then place a teaspoon of filling in the center. Carefully crease the packaging in half and seal the open ends. Brush another dot of water onto one corner (on the filling side), and then fold in and push the two corners together to create an overlapping triangle. Put on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Create a second, cook it, and compare the flavors. That’s great if you want to tweak things a bit before mass-producing them.
4. To prepare the wontons, drop them into boiling water. If you want to avoid your wontons sticking to the bottom of the pot, swirl the boiling water gently before dropping them in the dumplings. For about three to five minutes over medium heat, cook with the lid off. Blanching some greens to go with the dinner is a great idea at this point, too.
5. In the event that the water is boiling too quickly, you may want to add a half cup of cold water. This aids in controlling the starch content of the water. If the wontons float to the top and swell, they are done.
6. It’s recommended to heat the stock or broth to serve with the wontons at the same time they’re being cooked. It’s best to use homemade chicken broth or a combination of chicken and hog broth, both of which take some advance planning. The water I used to cook the wontons is usually sufficient. If you find yourself in a bind, try out my solution.
7. Light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and chopped scallions are the first things I throw into the soup pot. After that, I pour in the cooked wontons and some cooking water, give it a good toss, and season it with salt.