Many weeks ago, M and I worked on a little Won Ton making project! They were super easy to make (once we figured out how to fold them), and the monotony of doing 80 of these was pretty relaxing. I was doubtful at first as to whether or not we'd actually use all 80 wrappers for the Won Tons, but we did! Surprising, right? These can be eaten right after being made, or you can freeze them for the future.
Some lessons I learned throughout this:
[1] There are two types of won ton wrappers. One is yellower, and the other is whiter. I prefer the latter. The former is eggier, and I am less familiar with its use in cuisine.
[2] Before you begin the folding process, I recommend flouring the plates where you will place the finished Won Tons. I didn't do this step, and some of my won tons stuck to the plate. I discovered this as I was Ziploc bagging them into the freezer. Luckily, none of mine tore in the process! Next time I plan on flouring the plate a little bit.
[3] As my fellow blogger Jen likes to say, many hands makes for light work! (I really love this saying, by the way.)
Before we hit the recipe, let's look at some pretty pictures.
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Your mise-en-place (post ingredient mixing). Wanna know a secret?
There are frozen vegetables under the plates to keep the finished won tons cold
while new ones are being made.
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| Many won ton folds later...the final product! |
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After boiling, this is how they appear.
I cut one in half so you could see the inside.
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| Normally I choose to make soup. This time though, I wanted to try a sauce. Turned out pretty well! |
Pork Won Tons
Adapted from The Wei Chuan Cookbook: Chinese Rice and Noodles
Makes 80 Won Tons
Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork, lean
1 + 1.2 tsp salt
1 + 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 + 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp cooking wine
1 tbsp to 1 + 1/2 tbsp sesame oil (you add more oil for leaner pork)
2 eggs, beaten
80 won ton skins (Shanghai style)
Recipe:
[1] Combine all ingredients and mix well.
[2] Place a small amount of meat mixture
[3] Fold as indicated in the pictures below
For Won Ton Soup,
[4] Boil won tons in water. Stir lightly initially to prevent won tons from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
[5] Set aside, and cool.
[6] Add to your favorite bowl of chicken soup and noodles!
For Schezuan Won Tons,
[4] Boil won tons in water until they are floating. Stir lightly when won tons are first placed in the pot to prevent their sticking to the bottom of the bottom.
[5] Remove won tons from pot and let cool/dry a little.
[6] Prepare the sauce using the following:
6 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp ground garlic
2 tbsp green onion, minced
[7] Add desired amount of sauce to won tons. Toss lightly. Serve.
Tips on folding Won Tons:
[Figure 1] Place meat in the center of the won ton. Place water in the yellow shaded areas. Fold along green line.
[Figure 2] Fold along green line towards you.
[Figure 3] Fold the left and right edges away from you. Look to Figure 4 for reference on how it should appear afterwards.
[Figure 4] Place water on the surfaces indicated in yellow. The solid yellow area indicates the side visible to you. The spotted yellow area indicates the side that is not directly visible in the picture. The pink lines represent what were the green lines in Figure 3.
Figure 5. The final product. I have outlined the wonton's edges in blue to aid in your visualization .
