cracked pepper

The name won ton means swallowing a cloud, and the wonton floating in this popular soup are thought to resemble clouds. This recipe for Won ton Soup serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

Won tons:

18 – 24 won ton wrappers

250g boneless lean pork, chopped finely

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

a few drops sesame oil

1 teaspoon sherry

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 green onion, finely minced

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 dashes of white pepper

Other:

Water for boiling won tons

4 1/2 – 5 cups chicken stock

green onion, thinly sliced, as desired

a few drops sesame oil (optional)

METHOD

Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Lay one won ton skin in front of you. Cover the remaining won ton skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.

Moisten all the edges of the won ton wrapper with water. Place a heaping teaspoon of won ton filling in the center.

Folding the wan tons: Fold the won ton wrapper in half lengthwise, making sure the ends meet. Press down firmly on the ends to seal. Use thumbs to push down on the edges of the filling to center it. Keeping thumbs in place, fold over the won ton wrapper one more time. Push the corners up and hold in place between your thumb and index finger. Wet the corners with your fingers. Bring the two ends together so that they overlap. Press to seal. The finished product should resemble a nurse’s cap. Repeat with remaining won tons.

There’s a fantastic “how-to” at about.com that demonstrates how to fold won tons – including pictures. Much easier to follow than this text description!

Alternate method: Place the teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and twist to seal. The final result should resemble a money bag or drawstring purse.

Boiling the won tons: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the won tons, making sure there is enough room for them to move about freely. Let the won tons boil for 5 – 8 minutes, until they rise to the top and the filling is cooked through. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon.

To make the soup: bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the won tons and bring the soup back to a boil. Add the green onion, remove the pot from the heat and add the sesame oil, stirring. Ladle into soup bowls, allowing 6 won tons per person.

I dug up this recipe after an amazing take-out Chinese meal that I had recently. This version seems closest to the version that I ordered, and it’s very rich and aromatic.

via allrecipes (follow link to view this recipe with Imperial measurements)

INGREDIENTS

• 700g beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 8 broccoli florets, lightly steamed or blanched
• 2 cups oil for frying

METHOD

Lay beef strips out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Allow to dry in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice concentrate, salt and soy sauce. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add more water at the end if necessary.

Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Toss dried beef in cornstarch to coat. Fry in the hot oil in small batches until crispy and golden brown; set aside. Drain all of the oil from the wok except about 1 tablespoon.

Add orange zest, ginger and garlic to the remaining oil, and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, bring to a boil, and cook until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add beef, and heat through, stirring to coat. Serve immediately over steamed rice, and garnish with broccoli.