[ed. I love making these except my house usually ends up smelling like a won ton all day because I make the crispy versions fried in oil. Simple dipping sauce of Coleman's mustard and soy sauce. Recipe: Pork and Shrimp Won Tons]
Winter does not retreat. Here’s what I want: a table by a fogged-up window, with fat won tons, drizzled with hot pepper oil and stinking of garlic and ginger, bobbing in a huge bowl of steamy broth. Where? Why, at home — where else?
It’s not hard to have won tons or dumplings at home. You buy a bag of 60 frozen ones for a few bucks and boil them at home. I wouldn’t really call it cheating; you could do much worse. They are relatively healthy, convenient, cheap and a better choice than many other frozen options.
But what if you could get all that and have it freshly made (you control the ingredients and the seasonings) and have the taste be about a thousand times better?
You can. Making won tons is so easy, it almost feels like cheating. You buy the won ton skins in a package at the store. They are rolled to the perfect thickness, cut to the perfect size and have the perfect moisture content. Even the most fanatical cook will agree that store-bought won ton skins and phyllo dough are better.
Your won ton filling, whatever it is, will usually be a mixture of minced meat: chicken, duck, pork, shrimp or a combination. I love the combined flavors of not-too-lean, minced pork and shrimp, and the texture, too. Ginger, garlic, sesame oil and serrano chiles are happy additions, along with a spoonful of spicy fermented bean paste.
If you can get Chinese garlic chives, by all means use them. They add a green freshness to the won ton filling that is more vegetal than garlicky, and quite delicious. If not, carry on with scallions. Like meatballs, idiosyncratic variations of fillings are part of the experience. Taste your filling in advance, though, to ensure that it is well seasoned. Fry a little bit, check the seasoning and correct it. Because it will be wrapped in dough, the filling should be bright.
Won tons can be served plain or in broth. I prefer the broth version, but here is where I draw the line: don’t cheat on the broth. You’ll never get a good one from a can or a cube. If you don’t have worthwhile broth, stir-fry some spinach with garlic and a splash of water, then use the greens and their juices to moisten the dish.
Red pepper oil, in my opinion, should always be on hand.
Winter does not retreat. Here’s what I want: a table by a fogged-up window, with fat won tons, drizzled with hot pepper oil and stinking of garlic and ginger, bobbing in a huge bowl of steamy broth. Where? Why, at home — where else?It’s not hard to have won tons or dumplings at home. You buy a bag of 60 frozen ones for a few bucks and boil them at home. I wouldn’t really call it cheating; you could do much worse. They are relatively healthy, convenient, cheap and a better choice than many other frozen options.
But what if you could get all that and have it freshly made (you control the ingredients and the seasonings) and have the taste be about a thousand times better?
You can. Making won tons is so easy, it almost feels like cheating. You buy the won ton skins in a package at the store. They are rolled to the perfect thickness, cut to the perfect size and have the perfect moisture content. Even the most fanatical cook will agree that store-bought won ton skins and phyllo dough are better.
Your won ton filling, whatever it is, will usually be a mixture of minced meat: chicken, duck, pork, shrimp or a combination. I love the combined flavors of not-too-lean, minced pork and shrimp, and the texture, too. Ginger, garlic, sesame oil and serrano chiles are happy additions, along with a spoonful of spicy fermented bean paste.
If you can get Chinese garlic chives, by all means use them. They add a green freshness to the won ton filling that is more vegetal than garlicky, and quite delicious. If not, carry on with scallions. Like meatballs, idiosyncratic variations of fillings are part of the experience. Taste your filling in advance, though, to ensure that it is well seasoned. Fry a little bit, check the seasoning and correct it. Because it will be wrapped in dough, the filling should be bright.
Won tons can be served plain or in broth. I prefer the broth version, but here is where I draw the line: don’t cheat on the broth. You’ll never get a good one from a can or a cube. If you don’t have worthwhile broth, stir-fry some spinach with garlic and a splash of water, then use the greens and their juices to moisten the dish.
Red pepper oil, in my opinion, should always be on hand.
by David Tanis, NY Times | Read more:
Image: Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
