I used to think there was nothing more disgusting than slimy pastry, that is until I first tasted real dim sum in the Chinatown of Manchester. Neil and I used to go there often, feeling like intrepid explorers to the big, cosmopolitan city, full of such exotic things as live prawns. There was a Chinese herbalist that Neil was recommended and right next door a Chinese bakery who sold the best chicken curry pasties and BBQ pork buns imaginable. The pasties were superb because of one ingredient; chunks of water chestnuts which provided the fresh, crisp bite that only they and lotus root can offer. Since then, whenever I have made anything resembling Chinese dumplings, won tons or spring rolls, I have always included the little crunchy nuggets, as well as bamboo shoots, whose delicate, slightly floral flavour I also adore. At my local Chinese takeaway growing up, they sold a side dish of meaty egg noodles stir fried with slices of bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, tossed in a subtle seasoning of sesame oil and soy sauce, perhaps a little wine also. I could quite easily eat 2 cartons alone and even ignore the other more exotic dishes like chow mein.
Usually, only baked or fried pastry products would be acceptable to me and I can't think of another cuisine where boiling a mixture of flour and water is the norm, (except for soup dumplings maybe). With won tons and dim sum, it works. Dense fillings are definitely the best to help the won ton keep it's shape and provide a nice, meaty texture to what can only be described as slippery. But, to me, the combination of bite, crunch, soft and dense is the most important thing for a really good won ton.
For this recipe I used shallots to provide some sweet, soft and slightly crunchy notes, some carrot to provide crunch, prawns for sweetness and meaty density, garlic, pepper and chili for heat and flavour and water chestnuts for the bite. Seasoned with soy sauce, Chinese wine, a little sugar, a little salt and a few drops of pungent, earthy sesame oil. Scrumptious.
As always though, there were a few problems that required tweaking: Firstly, as I mentioned, won tons need a good dense filling to keep their shape and feel meaty and toothsome, these were a little loose and floppy. If I had added some ground pork, they would have had a better look and mouth feel. Secondly, there were one or two that weren't sealed as well as they should have been and leaked a little. make sure you moisten the edges with water and pinch together really well.
Recipe : Prawn and water chestnut won tons with basa and kale soup
Won tons
20 won ton wrappers
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
2 inch piece of medium carrot, peeled or scrubbed and very finely diced
1 chili pepper, diced
1 small clove garlic, peeled and finely diced
1/2 small bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
4 large raw prawns, shelled and finely diced
1/2 tin whole water chestnuts, finely diced
1 tsp of shredded bamboo shoots in chili oil (optional)
2 tsp finely shredded fresh basil
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Chinese wine
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Mix together all the ingredients for the won tons in a bowl, stirring well to combine and evenly distribute all the ingredients so that each won ton will have a little of everything.
Lay your won ton on a clean, flat surface and moisten by dipping your fingertip into a small bowl full of water and rubbing all along the edges. Place about 1 tsp of filling into the centre and fold the wrapping over diagonally to form a triangle. Pinch the edges together well to seal.
Repeat until you have used all the filling. This amount should make about 20 won tons.
To cook: Fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil over medium - high heat. When the water is at a rolling boil, add about 5 won tons at a time, depending on the size of your pan and cook for about 5 minutes. They will float to the surface almost immediately if they are quite light. If they have a denser filling, with some ground pork maybe, they will initially sink and begin to float after a few minutes by which time they should be ready.
Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, let drain for a few seconds and add to your prepared soup or eat straight away with a dipping sauce such as sweet chili. They may start to stick together if they touch each other after cooking, so try to keep them separate. The won tons can also be deep fried in hot 360oF oil for about 3 - 4 minutes until crispy and brown.
As you can see, the filling for these was loose, (but no less delicious). If you want to make yours more traditional and denser, add about 1/3 cup lean ground pork to the won ton ingredients and mix well as in the recipe with all other ingredients. You can also use one beaten egg added to the mixture to act as a binder.
Recipe : Basa and kale soup
The won tons were nested on top of a flavourful soup, although somewhat of a hybrid, using Japanese powdered soup mixes. I'll give you the recipe, albeit a little vague, but any Asian type soup would be good. Maybe a Chinese hot and sour or a Thai tom yum or even a Japanese miso.
2 sachets of miso or wakamame (seaweed) soup (or anything else you fancy).
3/4 cup boiling water
some fish pieces, I used about 1/4 cup leftover basa scraps from another dinner. Any white fish or even salmon would be fine.
a large handful of finely shredded kale
a few drops of chili oil
In a saucepan over medium - high heat, heat together the soup mixes and the water. Stir well to mix and then reduce the heat to simmer.
Add the fish and kale and cook gently until the fish is opaque and cooked and the kale has wilted.
Taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary and add the chili oil. Top with as many won tons as you like and enjoy.
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