Crispy Wonton with Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce

Method23 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Soak the 2–3 pieces dried black wood-ear fungus in enough water for about 20 minutes, until expanded and soft. Prepare the other ingredients while it soaks.

   Soak wood-ear fungus · 20 minUses 2–3 pieces dried black wood-ear fungus, depending on size · Water, as needed to soak the wood-ear fungus

2. 2

   Step 2: Mince the 350 g lean pork coarsely. Keep it cold until mixing the marinade.

   Uses 350 g lean pork, to mince coarsely

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix the minced pork with the 1 tsp salt, 2–3 tsp marinade oil, 2 tsp cornflour, 2½ tsp light soy sauce and dash of white pepper. Cover and refrigerate at 4°C (40°F) or below for about 15 minutes.

   Refrigerate pork marinade · 15 minUses Coarsely minced lean pork · 1 tsp salt, for the pork marinade · 2–3 tsp oil, for the pork marinade · 2 tsp cornflour, for the pork marinade · 2½ tsp light soy sauce, for the pork marinade · 1 dash white pepper, for the pork marinade

4. 4

   Step 4: Scrub the 6–7 fresh water chestnuts clean, peel them and cut into small cubes.

   Uses 6–7 fresh water chestnuts, to peel and dice · Clean water, as needed to wash the water chestnuts, spring onions, rehydrated fungus and optional parsley

5. 5

   Step 5: Peel and devein the 15 medium prawns, pat dry and cut each into 3–4 pieces. Keep the cut prawns refrigerated until mixing the filling.

   Uses 15 medium prawns, to peel and devein

6. 6

   Step 6: Wash and finely chop the 2 sprigs spring onions. If using the optional parsley (1 sprig), remove its roots, wash and pat dry, then cut into roughly 4 cm lengths or chop for garnishing; keep it separate.

   Uses 2 sprigs spring onions, to chop · 1 sprig parsley, optional, to garnish · Clean water, as needed to wash the water chestnuts, spring onions, rehydrated fungus and optional parsley

7. 7

   Step 7: Drain the softened wood-ear fungus, discarding its soaking water. Wash thoroughly between the folds to remove grit, then cut into small squares.

   Uses Only the expanded wood-ear fungus, leaving soaking water behind · Clean water, as needed to wash the water chestnuts, spring onions, rehydrated fungus and optional parsley

8. 8

   Step 8: In a large bowl, combine the marinated pork, diced water chestnuts, cut prawns, chopped spring onions and chopped wood-ear fungus. Keep the parsley garnish aside.

   Uses Refrigerated pork with its marinade · Only the peeled diced water chestnuts, excluding peel and wash water · Only the prepared prawn pieces, excluding shells · Only the chopped spring onions, excluding optional parsley and wash water · Only the washed chopped wood-ear fungus, excluding discarded water

9. 9

   Step 9: Crack the one egg into the filling and mix until fully incorporated.

   Uses Combined pork, prawn and vegetable filling · 1 egg, for the filling

10. 10

    Step 10: Cover the filling and refrigerate at 4°C (40°F) or below for 30 minutes.

    Refrigerate wonton filling · 30 minUses Raw filling with its incorporated egg

11. 11

    Step 11: Work with one wrapper at a time from the 100 g supply, keeping unused filling cold. Place about 1 tsp chilled filling in its centre. Repeat the folding steps for each wrapper without overfilling; reduce the spoonful if needed to seal securely. If the wrappers run out first, promptly refrigerate or freeze any unused raw filling for another fully cooked dish.

    Uses 100 g wonton wrappers · About 1 tsp chilled filling per wrapper from the prepared batch

12. 12

    Step 12: For each filled wrapper, use the back of a clean small spoon to moisten two adjacent edges with a thin layer of clean sealing water.

    Uses Only the filled wrappers, excluding any unused raw filling · Clean water, as needed to seal the wonton wrappers

13. 13

    Step 13: Fold each moistened wrapper in half into a triangle, aligning the three points.

    Uses Filled wrappers with their moistened sealing edges

14. 14

    Step 14: Gently press from the filling outwards to remove trapped air, then seal the edges firmly. Leave them as triangles, or choose the optional gold-ingot shape in the next three steps.

    Uses Folded filled wonton triangles

15. 15

    Step 15: Only for the gold-ingot shape, lightly moisten the two corners of each sealed triangle with the same clean sealing water. Skip this and the next two steps for triangular wontons.

    Uses Only the sealed triangles selected for optional ingot shaping · Clean water, as needed to seal the wonton wrappers

16. 16

    Step 16: Only for the gold-ingot shape, bring the two moistened corners towards one another.

    Uses Optional ingot-route triangles with moistened corners

17. 17

    Step 17: Only for the gold-ingot shape, press the overlapping corners together to seal them firmly.

    Uses Optional ingot-route wontons with overlapping corners

18. 18

    Step 18: Lightly dust a holding plate with the separate dusting flour. Arrange the sealed triangular wontons or the selected gold-ingot wontons in a single layer without touching. Keep filled wontons cold until frying.

    Uses Flour, as needed to dust the holding plate · Sealed triangular wontons if retaining that shape · Sealed gold-ingot wontons only if that optional route was chosen

19. 19

    Step 19: Heat the single rice bowl of frying oil (1) in a wok over medium-high heat until ready for frying. Prepare a clean kitchen-towel-lined plate for draining.

    Uses 1 rice bowl oil, for the shared frying bath

20. 20

    Step 20: Carefully add 3–4 prepared wontons to the hot oil without crowding. Fry for about 1 minute, or just until the wrappers start to brown, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

    Start each wonton batch · 1 minUses Hot shared frying-oil bath · First three-to-four-wonton batch from the prepared sealed wrappers

21. 21

    Step 21: Continue frying the same batch over medium-low heat for about 1½–2 minutes, checking at 1½ minutes. Fry until crisp and golden and the centre of the pork filling reaches 71°C (160°F), with the prawn pieces opaque throughout. Keep the heat low enough to cook the filling without burning the wrappers.

    Finish each wonton batch · 2 minUses Current wonton batch after the first minute, in the same oil

22. 22

    Step 22: Lift the fully cooked wontons onto the clean kitchen-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat the initial browning and reduced-heat finishing phases with the remaining prepared wontons in the same oil, checking each batch is fully cooked through.

    Uses Only the fully cooked wontons in the current batch, leaving frying oil behind · Any remaining sealed wontons for the same two-phase frying sequence

23. 23

    Step 23: Transfer only the drained crispy wontons to a serving dish. Garnish with the prepared optional parsley and serve hot with ready Thai sweet chilli sauce.

    Uses Only the drained cooked wontons from all batches, excluding discarded oil · Only the prepared optional parsley garnish, excluding spring onions and wash water · Ready Thai sweet chilli sauce, as desired to serve