Sichuan Wontons

By PineyCook

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 package wonton skins
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili oil
• 2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar or good-quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a large bowl, combine the pork, sesame oil, salt, and pepper and mix until everything is well-incorporated. The filling should be sticky and slightly wet.

2. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. This egg wash will be used for sealing the wonton wrappers.

3. Angle a wonton wrapper so that it faces you like a diamond. With a pastry brush, spread a thin layer of egg wash along the top two edges of the wrapper. (Keep the extra wrappers covered with a barely damp towel until ready to use, to prevent them from drying out.) Place one heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrapper.

a. One easy way to wrap is to form a triangle by folding the bottom tip to the top tip and pinching out as much air as possible. Add a dab of egg wash to the inside of the left tip, fold it over the right tip to overlap (as shown in the picture above) and press together.
b. For the “boat” version, start by folding the wrapper in half to form a rectangle. Add a dab of egg wash to the bottom edge of the left side and and fold it over the bottom edge of the ridge side, so that one overlaps the other. The end result should resemble a boat, with two tips cradling a puff of filling in the middle.

4. Place the finished wonton on a plate. Keep the finished wontons covered with a barely damp towel while you repeat the process with the remaining wontons.

5. In a medium bowl, mix together the garlic, soy sauce, sugar, chili oil, black vinegar, and Sichuan pepper. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved and set aside.

6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put in the wontons and boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the wontons float to the top. Remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle the chili sauce over the wontons and sprinkle the sliced scallions on top.