Fried Wonton
Crunchy, Savory Fried Wontons
With a thin and crispy wrapping and shrimp filling, this already delicious fried wonton recipe is even better when dipped in sweet and sour sauce or juices from the “Five Willows” vegetables – spring onion, carrot, celery, green pepper, and red chili pepper.
Main Ingredients
- 1 roll spring roll wraps
- 3/4 cup (115 grams) “five-willow” vegetables
Filling Ingredients
- 1.2 pounds (532 grams) shrimp, washed
- 1 ⅓ ounces (38 grams) fatty pork, chopped
- 1 ⅓ ounces (38 grams) winter bamboo, shredded and squeezed dry
- 3 tablespoons (56 grams) salt
- 2/3 cup (75 grams) corn starch
- 1/3 cup (75 grams) lard/grease
- 3/4 cup (95 grams) chicken stock powder
- 2 teaspoons (4 grams) pepper
- 2/3 cup (133 grams) sugar
- 1/2 cup (114 grams) sesame oil
Sweet & Sour Sauce Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (600 grams) white vinegar
- 2/3 cup (150 grams) ok juice
- 2 plums smoked plum
- 2 ½ tablespoons (38 grams) worcestershire sauce
- 1 ¼ cups (300 grams) water
- 3 cups (600 grams) sugar cubes
- 1 sleeve haw flakes
- 1 ½ cups (338 grams) tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons (11 grams) salt
- 3 tablespoons (38 grams) sugar
Flour Mixture (For Sealin grams)
- 1/3 cup (38 grams) flour
- 1/8 cup (38 grams) water
Cooking Directions
How to make fried wonton filling
- Wash the shrimp. Mix together with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, water, 6 tablespoon of sugar, and almost 1 cup of corn starch, and let sit for 15 minutes. rinse with water for 30 minutes, then ladle out the shrimp and allow to drip dry. Add ice or place in the freezer for 30~45 minutes. Remove from freezer and spread out on a cloth to dry before placing in blender.
- Mix the shrimp with salt, corn starch, and pepper until a paste is formed. add sugar, chicken stock powder, winter bamboo shreds, and pork and stir. Finally, mix in the lard. Place in freezer and allow to harden.
How to make sweet and sour sauce
- Dissolve the sugar cubes and Haw Flakes in water, then add in the remaining sweet and sour sauce ingredients and boil. Remove from heat when a sauce of even consistency is formed.
Assemble the wontons
- Place approximately 19 grams of the shrimp filling into a spring roll wrapping, and pinch the dough together so that the filling is enclosed. Use the flour mixture to seal. You’ve made wonton!
Put it together
- Cook the wonton at 300 ⁰F (150 ⁰C) until golden-brown. Dip the cooked wonton in the five-willows juice or sweet and sour sauce.
The Story behind Wonton
Wonton originated as “hundun” in northern China.
According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (770-221 BC), when King Helu of Wu defeated the State of Yue in southern China he received a large amount of riches – more than he knew what to do with. Foremost among these riches was one of the Four Legendary Beauties, Xishi.
With these new treasures, King Helu spent all of his time indulging himself in food, drink and fun, paying no mind to affairs of the region until the Winter Solstice. As was tradition, he worshiped at the ancestral temples during the Winter Solstice, but as he had grown used to his riches, he found the feasts and offerings lacking.
Xishi took notice of the King’s disappointment and ran into the kitchen, whipping together a dish from scraps and whatever miscellaneous items she could find. King Helu loved the new creation, which used a dough wrapping to hold together the various filling ingredients. When he asked Xishi about the dish, she explained how it had come together through “chaos” (hundun), but really referring to the chaotic Kingdom under Helu’s ruling.
Since then wonton dishes are enjoyed throughout the year, but they always take on a special significance during the Winter Solstice season, when the innovation and cleverness of Xishi is celebrated through diverse wonton recipes.