Wonton Soup - Shanghai Style

This recipe is from my friend Annie. 
Every year, she would visit our family and prepare a Chinese menu for my dad's birthday.  It was the highlight of the year. She taught us how to make our own wontons and with a little practice, we have improved.  Not quite as perfect as Annie's, but just as tasty!

Ingredients

1/2 tsp salt

Small bunch of baby bok choy, stems and leaves separated

1 lb (500 grams) of ground pork
1 green onion, minced
2 tsp peeled and minced ginger
1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

1 egg
50 wonton wrappers

Chopped green onion and ginger slices for garnish

6 cups of chicken or vegetable soup

 

Method

 

In a medium size bowl, bring water to a boil. Add salt and bok choy stems, cook 1 minute. Add bok choy leaves, cook 1 minute. Drain; run under cold water to stop cooking. Transfer bok choy to a cutting board; press with dishcloth to squeeze dry. Coarsely chop. 

In a large bowl, combine bok choy, pork, green onion, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt and egg, until combined.  (TIP:  cook 1/2 tsp of meat mixture in microwave.  Taste.  Adjust seasoning accordingly.  

Spoon 1 tsp of the filling in the center of the won ton wrapper. Dip finger into a bowl of water and moisten the edges of the dumpling. Fold the wrapper over the filling to half, pressing the wet sides together to seal. Gently bend dumpling to have the 2 ends meet up.  Wet the tips with water and press together. Repeat until all dumplings are finished, storing finished dumplings on a baking sheet under a damp dish towel to keep them from drying out.

 

Bring a large sauce pan of water to a boil with 1 tbsp of salt.  Drop the wontons in (about 10 at a time)  and simmer for about 5 minutes until they rise to the top.  If you are using frozen ones, add another cup of water and let it boil till the wontons float to the top again. Transfer the wontons to the boiling soup to finish cooking, another 3 minutes.

 

TO FREEZE:  Keep the wontons on the baking sheet and place in the freezer for about an hour.  Then transfer them to individual freezer bags.  Keep frozen till ready to cook.  Serve with chopped green onions and sliced ginger.