Wonton Soup

These dainty one-bite pork wontons served in a comforting chicken broth will keep you toasty on chilly days.

Ingredients :

For the chicken broth

• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken

• 15 cups cold water

• 1 medium yellow onion, halved

• 3 cloves garlic, smashed

• 3 scallions, halved crosswise

• Fresh ginger that is 1 inch long, quarter-inch thick, and smashed

• 1 tablespoon of coarsely chopped Tianjin preserved veggies (optional)

• Kosher salt, for seasoning the broth to taste

For the wontons

• 1 pound ground pork

• 2 scallions, minced

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/4-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 large egg

• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

• 3 tablespoons water

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Use all-purpose flour to dust the baking sheet (optional)

• 80 square wonton wrappers

To serve

• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

STEPS :

     1. Make the broth :

Add the chicken and 15 cups of water to a big pot. Water is heated to a rolling boil over high heat, then the temperature is lowered to maintain a low simmer. A hard boil is not what you want. Use a large spoon or skimmer to sometimes skim and remove the foam that rises to the surface of the water.

     2. Add the aromatic vegetables :

Add the onions, garlic, scallions, and ginger, and cook for two to two and a half hours while regularly skimming the foam.

     3. Strain the broth :

Place a big, fine-mesh strainer over a pot that can accommodate 8 to 10 cups of liquid. Pour the broth and sediments into the sieve using a ladle. Try to transfer all of the solids into the sieve first because it will be simpler to filter the broth once you've discarded the sediments. You can toss the solids out as you go if the sieve fills up too much. The chicken will be mealy, so I also toss it; however, if you'd like to save it for future use, feel free.

If used, include the preserved veggies and cover the saucepan to keep it warm over low heat. If you're not going to use the preserved vegetables, salt the soup to taste.

If the broth won't be consumed right away, let it cool and then pour it into a container with a lid. Keep it cold until you're ready to utilize it.

The same large pot that was used to produce the stock should be rinsed, filled with water to about two-thirds of the way, and placed on the stove. It will be used to prepare the wontons.

     4. Make the wonton filling :

Pork, scallions, garlic, ginger, egg, Shaoxing wine, water, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and black pepper should all be combined in a sizable bowl. Beat the mixture rapidly in one direction for at least five minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon, to make it lighter in color, pasty, and sticky.

     5. Chill the wonton filling :

Before using, divide the filling between two tiny, covered containers (similar to plastic deli pint containers). The filling can be used right away, but chilling it for around 30 minutes will make it simpler to deal with. One container will be handled at a time while the other is kept refrigerated.

     6. Set up your wonton station :

Two sheet pans should be lightly dusted with flour or lined with parchment or wax paper. While you prepare the wontons, place the container of filling over a bowl of ice water to keep it cool.

The wonton wrappers should be removed and should be covered with plastic wrap or a wet paper towel. Water will be used to seal the wonton wrappers in a small bowl.

Unless you prefer to wrap the wontons directly on your hands, a spotless table, or a counter, have a tiny dish in front of you. Having a damp paper towel on hand to wipe your fingertips clean as necessary is also useful.

     7. Boil water :

While you wrap the wontons, prepare a big pot of water on the stovetop to a boil over high heat.

     8. Fill the wonton :

Put a wonton wrapper in the palm of your non-dominant hand or on a plate with the pointed tip facing you.

Fill the center of the wrapper with a dollop of filling using a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon.

Use the index finger of your dominant hand to lightly wet the margins of the two sides that flank the pointed tip across from you.

     9. Seal two tips together :

Form a triangle by gently folding the point closest to you up to meet the tip across from you. The sides should remain open and unsealed while the top tips are gently pressed together.

     10. Pleat the sides :

The triangle's bottom right corner can be raised into a loose pleat with your index finger. Continue on the left side. Although you are making the pleats, you are not yet tightly sealing it. Additionally, watch out for generating a triangle-shaped wonton by sealing the edges flat.

     11. Remove air pockets and seal :

To remove any air and seal the wrapper around the filling, gather the wrapper around it and give it a hard but gentle squeeze.

     12. Repeat after setting the wonton aside :

The wonton should be placed on the sheet pan with the filled side up. To make sure it sits upright, gently press down on the bottom to flatten it.

The wontons should be wrapped indefinitely, then stacked one on top of the other without touching. If not, they will remain bound to one another. To prevent them from drying out, lightly wrap the wontons in plastic wrap or a wet paper towel.

     13. Cook the wontons :

Slide half of the wontons carefully into the boiling water in the pot. To keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot and to separate them, stir with a wooden spoon. As they cook, the wontons should be allowed to fan and float around. Allow the wontons to cook for 1 minute after the water boils again and they float to the top.

     14. Test for doneness :

Check to see if the filling is cooked through by scooping out one wonton and cutting it open. It shouldn't be pink or have a raw appearance in the middle. If not, give them another minute to simmer.

They should not be overcooked or they will crumble.

     15. Serve wontons in the soup :

The wontons should be placed into bowls using a slotted spoon or skimmer. Serve the wontons right away with the hot chicken broth, scallions, and sesame oil as garnishes. The remaining wontons should be repeated.

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