Pork Wontons Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep wontons moist? ›

Wrappers – do not lay/spread them out but keep them in the opened package. Take out a few wrappers at a time (so they don't dry out). Cover the opened package with a damp tea towel.

The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.

Cook the wontons in batches until they float to the surface, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Garnish with the chives and serve immediately with the chili dipping sauce.

Making the broth with a combination of chicken backs, pork trotters, dry-cured ham, dried shrimp, and glutamate-rich seaweed results in an extra-savory and rich soup. Brining the shrimp that fill the wontons in a solution of salt and baking soda preserves their juiciness and makes them crisp.

The Bonnet

Begin by putting your filling in the middle of the wrapper and then folding the wrapper over into a half-rectangle, making sure to seal the edges with water. Bring the two edges of the folded side of the wonton together and seal them with another dab of water.

Holding the wonton with the tips facing upwards, dab a bit of water on one of the bottom corners. Carefully bring the bottom left corner and right corner together at the center and press firmly to seal them, creating the Lotus Flower shape.

I like to use either peanut oil or vegetable oil for deep frying. Both are neutral flavored and have a high smoke point. They can handle the amount of heat needed to make sure that your wonton strips fry up crispy without absorbing too much oil.

Often they burst during cooking because they have too much filling for the amount of dough. Some doughs are too dry, so the dumplings won't stay sealed. Others can be too wet and sticky and end up tearing. If the filling isn't cohesive enough, it will tumble out when you bite into it.

Freeze cooled baked wontons in a freezer container, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated 400° oven until crisp and heated through.

Fully cooked wontons will float to the top of the boiling water. If they have been floating for approximately 30-60 seconds, you can be sure they are fully cooked. If your wontons are not floating, gently scrape the bottom of the pot, sometimes wontons get stuck to the bottom.

How long should you boil wontons for? ›

Bring a wok halfway full with water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the wontons in batches until they float to the surface, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Boil Until Cooked Through

Now you just have to sit and wait for them to cook. After about eight minutes, your dumplings should start to float to the top.

Wontons are made by spreading a square wrapper (a dough skin made of flour, egg, water, and salt) flat in the palm of one's hand, placing a small amount of filling in the center and sealing the wonton into the desired shape by compressing the wrapper's edges together with the fingers.

Wonton filling

There are many types of wonton fillings, but I'd say that pork and shrimp/prawns are the most common. Then there are all sorts of additions, including mushrooms, water chestnuts, chopped up Asian greens and even carrots.

Ryu says this will also work if your wontons come out of the package with dry edges. In this instance, she says she'll wrap them in a damp paper towel and then stick them in a plastic bag for a few hours. "In most cases," she says, "it will make the edges soft."

Cover up. As you fold your dumplings, keep them covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel. This prevents the dumplings from drying out (dry skins can split when cooked).

Refrigerating Wonton Wrappers

To store opened wrappers, one should place them in an airtight container or wrap them securely in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.

If taking to a party or tailgating just put in a pan and cover with a couple of layers of foil. They are tasty hot, warm or at room temperature. They can be made ahead of time and popped back in an oven to reheat right before serving as well.