“This is a simple yet delicious soup. You can add a bit more Chinese choi sum and make it a side dish, or add noodles and serve it as a meal on its own,” says chef Elizabeth Haigh.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 pack wonton skins/wrappers (readily available in Chinese supermarkets)
- 2 litres salted water
- 2 litres chicken stock
- soy sauce
- choi sum or lettuce, shredded
- spring onions, chopped
- toasted sesame oil
- salt and white pepper
For the filling:
- 200g minced pork (with 10 per cent fat)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- good pinch of white pepper
- 1 tablespoon rice wine (shaoxing or sake)
- 2 teaspoons peanut or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon cornflour, plus extra for dusting
- 170g peeled raw prawns, chopped
Method
Start by making the wonton filling. Put all the ingredients, except the prawns, in a bowl and mix together by hand until the pork and seasonings are thoroughly combined. Mix in the chopped prawns until evenly incorporated.
To make each wonton, take a wonton skin and put about one teaspoon of filling in the middle. Wet the edges of the skin with water, then bring the two opposite corners together to form a triangle, trying to remove as much air from the wonton as possible (to prevent it from bursting open later on). Press the edges together to seal. Dust the bottom of the wonton with a tiny bit of cornflour to prevent them from sticking together.
Continue making wontons like this. You should be able to make about three dozen, depending on how generous you are with the filling.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium. Add the wontons to the water one at a time. Don’t rush and don’t crowd the pan; cook in batches if you need to. Once a wonton is cooked (around four to five minutes) it will float to the surface. Scoop out the cooked wonton, place in cold water for 10 seconds and set aside. Continue until all your wontons are cooked.
To complete the soup, bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large pot, then turn the heat down to medium. Season with salt, pepper and soy sauce to taste. Add the choi sum or lettuce, then add the cooked wontons, dropping them gently into the soup. Take care not to stir hard as you don’t want to break the delicate wontons. Ladle into bowls. Alternatively, I find it easier to put the wontons into bowls and ladle the stock into the bowls. Garnish each with chopped spring onions and a drop of sesame oil.
Makan: Recipes From The Heart Of Singapore by Elizabeth Haigh is published by Bloomsbury Absolute.
Are you a fan of Singaporean cuisine? Have you ever made your own wontons? Share your favourite filling in the comments section below.
Also read: Quick Singapore Noodles for Two
– With PA