Wontons are warm, wonderful and versatile dumplings. They can be used in soups, served with a dipping sauce, used in a main dish, or just served as an appetizer. They are one of the first Chinese foods I learned to make when I was young. I remember my Nai-Nai (Chinese for grandmother) setting up her little table in the kitchen to make wontons. She had the wrappers and the meat all laid out. Then she would call me over and show me how to fold them. After several tries, I finally got it right!

As the guru of “quick, easy, and delicious Chinese food,” these dumplings are unfortunately not quick to make, but they sure are delicious! They are well worth the time and patience. Below is the recipe I’ve used over the years. It is best to read through the entire recipe before you start. I hope you enjoy these as much as I have!

Wontons
60 wonton wrappers
1.5 lbs ground pork
3 green onion stalks
1 egg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
Small bowl of water

Soy Ginger Sauce
¼ cup of soy sauce
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Preparation:

1. Rinse the green onion stalks and slice them into small pieces. Slice both the white and green parts, discarding the ends and any wilted pieces. The total sliced should measure out to be about 1/3 cup.


2. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, ginger and rice wine vinegar. Set aside.


3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the ground pork, green onion, egg, ginger, and salt.


4. To prepare to make the wontons you will need 2 plates and a small bowl of water. One plate will be used to make the wontons and the other to place the finished wontons. Since they usually take a while to make, you want to be sure to set up in a comfortable place. I like to set up at the breakfast table where I can sit comfortably rather than stand in the kitchen.

Making the Wontons:

1. Begin by placing a wonton wrapper on a plate. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the ground pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Be sure to get some of the green onion in each wonton. Next, moisten the edges of the wrapper by dipping a finger in the water and lightly spreading it along the border.


2. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half and press along the edges to seal the meat inside. Next take the two bottom corners of the triangle you formed and bring them together, slightly overlapping one another. Press them tightly to seal. If the meat begins to squeeze out the sides when you bring these two corners together, simply try the next one using a little less meat. You only need to use a little meat to make a great wonton.


3. When you are down to the last 10 wontons, heat a large pot of water on high.


4. Once you have finished the wontons, make sure the water is boiling. Slowly place each wonton in the water. I like to do this by hand, dropping them in two at a time. As you drop the wontons in, they will sink to the bottom of the pot. As they begin to cook, they will start to rise to the top. Be sure that there is enough room in the pot for all the wontons to boil without sticking to one another. If you only have a small pot, simply boil 30 wontons at a time. Boil them for 10 minutes.


5. Slowly remove the wontons with a slotted spoon, placing them on a serving plate. Try drain all the water off as you remove them. Serve with soy ginger sauce on the side. Makes 60.

Although these wontons are served with a dipping sauce, they can be served in a soup as well. Simply remove them from the boiling water and place them into a soup stock, heat, and serve. Enjoy!