Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup
Delicate Shrimp Wonton in a Hearty Noodle Soup
Shrimp wonton noodle soup is one the most beloved local dim sum in Guangzhou. Cantonese wonton is carefully made with thin skin and plenty of meat, with fillings that include pork, egg, and shrimp. Practically every eatery and restaurant – large or small – in Guangzhou has either wonton or wonton noodle soup on offer.
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
- 5 duck eggs
- 7 ounces (200 grams) pork (arm shoulder cut)
- 1 pound (400 grams) pig bones
- 3 ounces (80 grams) shrimp meat
- 2 eggs
- 0.5 ounce (15 grams) dried shiitake mushrooms
- 0.7 ounce (20 grams) small dried shrimp
- 7 ounces (200 grams) wonton skins
- bok choy to preference
Seasonings
- 1 stalk green onion
- 3 stalks hotbed chives
- 0.35 ounce (10 grams) fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons (15 grams) dried flounder powder
- a dash of chicken bouillon powder
- a dash of ground pepper
- sesame oil
to preference
- starch powder to preference
- salt to preference
Cooking Directions
Preparations
- Wash hotbed chives and cut into small sections. Wash and chop green onions.
- Crack duck eggs into all-purpose flour. Stir evenly to produce a dough with a smooth surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Tips: When making the dough, it is important not to add any water, not to allow the flour to ferment, and not to allow any air bubbles to form. This will all adversely affect the taste of the noodles.
How to make wonton noodles
- Place dough on a flat surface and roll flat with a rolling pin. Fold it over twice, then roll flat again. After rolling it down to a 1-2 millimeter-thin sheet, fold it over twice, and then roll flat again. Repeat this process for 1 hour. The last time you fold it, use a knife to trim off the edges, creating a square shape. Use the knife to cut 1 millimeter-wide noodles from this square.
How to make wonton soup and wontons
- Prepare the soup broth and shrimp wonton - see Wonton Soup
- Add sufficient water to pot and bring to boil over high heat. Add salt and cooking oil to taste, then add wonton. Scoop wonton out into a bowl when they begin to float to the surface of the water.
How to boil wonton noodles
- While boiling the wonton, place noodles into bamboo or wicker strainer. Heat them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove from boiling water and rinse once with fresh water, then place in boiling water again for 5 seconds. Place into separate bowl, then scoop into soup bowl.
Put it all together
- Place bok choy in boiling water until it is sufficiently heated, then scoop out. Place in bowl. Sprinkle hotbed chives and chopped green onions on top and serve.
The “Three Precepts” of Wonton Noodle Soup
A favorite food of Cantonese, wonton noodle soup is also locally called “xirong”. Great wonton noodle soup must adhere to the “three precepts”.
- The noodles must be smooth, al dente bamboo noodles (also known as jook-sing noodles).
- The filling must be made with mostly lean pork and fresh shrimp balls. The bite-sized wonton must retain their form when being consumed.
- The soup must be thick, with a broth prepared with dried flounder and pig bones.
First, the noodles must be smooth, al dente bamboo noodles (also known as jook-sing noodles). Second, the filling must be made with mostly lean pork and fresh shrimp balls. The bite-sized wonton must retain their form when being consumed. Third, the soup must be thick, with a broth prepared with dried flounder and pig bones.
Traditional bamboo noodles are made without any water. Just pure flour and duck eggs. After the dough is kneaded, the chef will straddle a thick, long bamboo pole, and move it up and down to evenly press and roll the dough flat. After one or two hours of this, the flimsy dough is then pulled into thin noodles. Noodles made this way are supple, firm, and rich in taste.