Pork and prawn wontons

“Pork and prawn wontons are a classic Chinese dish, combining juicy pork and succulent prawns wrapped in delicate wonton skins. Whether served in soup or fried until crispy, these flavourful bites are a comforting favourite.” – Vincent Lim (aka DimSumLim)

Makes 40 wontons

300g prawns, peeled and deveined, roughly chopped 

300g regular pork mince (not lean) 

3 spring onions, thinly sliced    

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tsp salt

½ tsp YumYum or MSG

¼ tsp white pepper

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chicken bouillon powder

1 tbsp sesame oil

1½ tsp cornflour (cornstarch)

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)

1 pack Cantonese wonton egg wrappers

In a large bowl, combine the prawns, pork mince, spring onions, grated ginger, salt, YumYum or MSG, white pepper, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, sesame oil, cornflour and Shaoxing wine. Mix the filling in one direction until it is well combined and streaks begin to form along the edge of the bowl, a sign you’ve got the desired cohesive texture. To further enhance the springiness and texture of the filling, pick up the mixture and firmly throw it back into the bowl a few times, using the traditional dumpling technique known as ‘Da Xian’.

Place a small spoonful of the filling onto the centre of each wonton wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling and pinch the edges into the centre to form a ‘bunch’ at the top of the wrapper. 

Repeat this process with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Your wontons are now ready to be boiled, steamed, fried or added to soup.

This is an edited extract from The Wolf of Wok Street by Vincent Lim, published by Hardie Grant Books. 📷 Alana Dimou. RRP $50