Cantonese Wonton Soup
Wonton Soup, a Classic Chinese Dish
Wonton originates from the “Hun Dun” dish in northern China. As the dish spread to Guangdong in the south, it came to be more commonly known by its Cantonese pronunciation – “Wonton”, which means a “puff of cloud” as it is thought to resemble a silk crape or a puff of cloud. The English name for the bite-sized dish is a loan word from Cantonese.
Tip on How to Make Wonton Soup
Traditional wonton skins are made with egg and flour. The filling should be made with chopped pork mince, not a pork paste. Mostly lean pork hock is the most suitable meat to use for the wonton filling. Plaice powder must be added to the shrimp to enhance its fresh flavor. It will only be crisp and tasty if you add egg whites and starch and knead it to a gluey consistency. The key to keeping the wonton soup fresh also lies in adding plaice powder. Traditional wonton soup is made by stewing plaice powder, shrimp heads, shrimp shells, and pig bones. It is fresh and delicious without having to add MSG.
Ingredients
- 7 ounces (200 grams) pork hock
- 1 pound (400 grams) pig bone
- 3 ounces (80 grams) fresh peeled shrimp
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons (15 grams) dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 ounce (20 grams) dried unshelled small shrimp
- 200 grams wonton wrappers
Seasonings
- 1 stalk green onion
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons (15 grams) plaice powder
- a pinch of chicken bouillon powder
- a pinch of ground pepper
- starch and salt to taste
- sesame oil
to taste
Cooking Directions
Preparations
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in fresh water beforehand. Wash, remove stems, and mince. Rinse green onion and chop into small pieces. Wash and then slice ginger. Rinse dried unshelled small shrimp and then strain. Crack 2 eggs in a bowl and extract the yolk. Store the egg white for later.
How to make wonton filling
- Wash pork and chop into minced meat. Combine the meat with minced shiitake mushrooms, some salt, the chicken bouillon powder, and starch. Stir evenly. Stir vigorously in one direction to make the meat filling.
- Devein shrimp. Remove their heads, tails, and shells. Cut into large chunks. Add egg whites, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) plaice powder, some salt, chicken powder, starch, and some ground pepper. Knead until the shrimp achieves a gluey consistency.
- Tip: Too much ground pepper will overpower the shrimp. If you prefer a stronger shrimp flavor, you don’t have to add ground pepper.
How to wrap wontons
- Put a wonton wrapper in the palm of your hand. Pick up a moderate amount of meat filling and shrimp chunks with chopsticks or a spoon and place in the center of the wonton wrapper. Use the chopsticks or spoon to press down on the filling, then use your fingers to pinch the wonton wrapper inwards. Use your fingers to repeatedly pinch together the opening.
How to make wonton soup
- Wash pig bones. Place in boiling water and blanch to remove blood. Wash shrimp heads and shells. Heat pan and fry dried unshelled small shrimp, shrimp heads, and shrimp shells until aromatic. Wrap in a soup stock bag and place into a soup pot along with pig bones. Add 13 cups water, 2 teaspoons (10 grams) of plaice powder, and fresh ginger. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 2 hours. Add salt to taste.
Put it all together
- Bring soup to a boil over high heat. Place the wonton into the soup and add some sesame oil. Boil until wonton begin to float, then scoop into a bowl. Sprinkle the chopped scallion on top and drizzle some sesame oil.