Fried Wontons

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Servings: 16 wontons (Serves 4)

Country of Origin

Chinese-American / Cantonese Diaspora

Description

An incredibly popular, crispy dim sum starter. Delicate square egg dough wrappers are folded around a small, seasoned nugget of ground pork or shrimp paste, then deep-fried until the edges puff up into light, shatteringly crisp, golden sails.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Stacked in a golden mound on a plate, often served alongside a small bowl of bright red sweet and sour sauce or plum dip. They are picked up with fingers and eaten hot while the wrapper is at its maximum crispness.

Ingredients

• 16 square wonton wrappers

• 150g (5.3 oz) ground pork (or minced shrimp paste)

• 1 scallion (finely minced)

• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger (finely grated)

• Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)

The Wonton Seasoning:

• 1 tsp light soy sauce

• 1/2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp sugar

• 1/2 tsp pure toasted sesame oil

• 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Mix Filling: In a small bowl, combine the ground pork (or shrimp), minced scallion, grated ginger, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, salt, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Stir vigorously in one direction for 2 minutes until it forms a cohesive, sticky paste.

2. Position Wrapper: Lay a square wonton wrapper flat on your hand like a diamond. Place exactly 1 teaspoon of the meat filling into the center. (Do not overfill, or the wrapper won't crisp evenly).

3. Fold to Triangle: Moisten the bottom two edges of the wrapper with a wet fingertip. Fold the top corner down to meet the bottom corner, pressing firmly around the meat nugget to squeeze out air pockets and form a neat triangle.

4. Nurse the Corners: Bring the two side corners of the triangle down and overlap them slightly underneath the filling bulge. Pinch them together firmly with a drop of water to seal. Repeat for all wontons.

5. Heat Oil: Pour 2 inches of vegetable oil into a deep pan or wok and bring it to 350°F (175°C).

6. Deep-Fry until Crispy: Drop the wontons carefully into the oil in small batches. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning them occasionally, until the wrapper turns a beautiful bubbly, airy, golden-brown and the meat center is cooked through. Drain on a wire rack.

Cooking Tips

• Squeeze Out the Air: When sealing the wonton wrapper around the raw filling, make sure to push out all trapped air before pinching the edges closed. Trapped air pockets expand violently in hot oil, causing the wontons to burst open and fill your frying oil with loose meat.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving, 4 wontons per person)

• Calories: ~190 kcal

• Total Fat: 11g

• Saturated Fat: 1.8g

• Cholesterol: 25mg

• Sodium: ~340mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 15g

• Dietary Fiber: 0.5g

• Sugars: 0.5g

• Protein: 7g