in my belly: wonton noodle soup

shrimp, pork, & chive wontons

i found an official recipe, but pretty much if you have the pre-made store-bought wonton skins you can stick whatever you want in there and it will turn out pretty tasty.

Hong Kong-Style Wonton Noodle Soup

Broth Ingredients

1 pound pork bones
2 oz dried shrimp (i didn't have any... and didn't use them, and still tasted good!)
1 piece ginger, peeled and sliced
1 large chicken thigh, or 2 quarts chicken broth

Wonton Ingredients

1 pound ground pork
1 pound shrimp, deveined and finely chopped (or 1 pound frozen shrimp, brought to room temperature and finely chopped)
5 to 6 strands yellow (or normal green) chives, chopped
1 piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper

1 to 2 eggs 
Flour for dusting
1 package wonton skins, about 50, thawed if frozen
8 ounces egg noodles
Another 5 to 6 strands yellow chives, chopped, for garnish

The Soup

Simmer pork bones, a chicken thigh, and ginger in a large pot of water for 1 hour, adding dried shrimp in the last 20 minutes. Alternatively, simmer pork bones and ginger in pre-made chicken broth for 1 hour, adding dried shrimp in the last 20 minutes.

The Wontons

Place 2 to 3 large plates near you (for when, later on, your hands are so sticky with egg wash and you’re on such a roll with the folding that you’ll appreciate not having to dig around for another plate.)

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the pork, shrimp, and scallions. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Repeat thorough mixing. Filling should be sticky and slightly wet.

Crack open eggs and beat with a fork. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and keep some extra flour within hand’s reach.

Angle a wonton wrapper so that it faces you like a diamond. With your fingertips or a spoon, spread a thin layer of egg wash along the top two edges of the wrapper. Place a quarter-size spoonful of filling in the center of the skin.

• One super-easy way to wrap is to form a triangle by folding the bottom tip to the top tip and pinch out as much air as possible.
• For the “boat” version, start by making the triangle wonton. Add a dab of egg wash to either of the two side tips and fold them together, overlapping one on top of the other. The end result should look boat-like, with two tips cradling a puff of filling in the middle.
• This page shows 8 different ways of folding wontons.

Place the finished wonton on a plate. Keep wontons covered with a damp towel to prevent the wrappers from drying out. Repeat folding until filling or wrappers are used up.

The Wonton Soup

You can cook the wontons in the soup itself, but I prefer to cook them separately so any excess flour on the wrapper doesn’t get into the soup. Set aside about 6 wontons per person. Freeze extras.

For noodles, bring soup to boil. Add noodles and cook until al dente, about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the noodles.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring 2 liters (2 quarts) water to boil. Add wontons and simmer uncovered, stirring gently, for about 4 to 7 minutes until done. (Trick of the trade: When dumplings float to the top, that usually means they’re done. Unless there is too much air inside the wontons due to bad folding.) Cut one open to check for doneness.

Divide soup and noodles into separate bowls. Add 5 to 6 wontons per bowl. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

source