Wonton Soup

Huntun Tang

250g wonton skins

1.2litres(2pints) chicken stock

salt

chopped spring onions, to garnish

FILLING

250g raw peeled prawns, deveined and chopped or coarsely minced

250g minced pork

2teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

2tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions

2 teaspoons shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

1teaspoon sugar

1teaspoon sesame oil

1egg white, lightly beaten

You can find many versions of this famous, satisfying soup in food stals and street restaurants throughout China.

My favourite is this one from the south.

1. To make the filling, put the prawns and pork into a large bowl, add 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper and mix well, either by kneading with your hands or by stirring with a wooden spoon. Then add all the other fillingingredients and stir them well into the prawn and pork mixture. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

2. When you are ready to stuff the wontons, place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the centre of the first wonton skin. Dampen the edges with a little water and bring up the sides of the skin around the filling. Pinch the edges together at the top so that the wonton is sealed-it should look like a small filled bag.

3. When the wontons are ready, bring the stock to a simmer in a large saucepan. In a separate large saucepan, bring salted water to the boil, add the wontons and poach for 1 minute or until they float to the surface.

Remove them immediately and transfer them to the stock.(This procedure will result in a cleaner-tasting broth.) Continue to simmer them in the stock for 2 minutes. Transfer to individual bowls or a large soup tureen, garnish with chopped spring onions and serve immediately.

qingquang

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