Deep-Fried Wonton with Pork and Shrimp
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INGREDIENTS One recipe Wonton Wrappers, or
½ pound ready-made wonton wrappers, or
1 pound ready-made egg roll wrappersTHE FILLING
1 pound raw shrimp in their shells
2 tablespoons peanut oil, or flavorless vegetable oil
½ pound lean boneless pork, freshly ground
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, or pale dry sherry
1 teaspoon salt
6 peeled and washed fresh water chestnuts, or drained canned water chestnuts,
finely chopped
1 scallion, including the green top, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold chicken stock, fresh or canned,
or cold water
3 cups peanut oil, or flavorless vegetable oilPREPARE AHEAD
Shell the shrimp. With a small, sharp knife, make an incision down their backs and lift out the black or white intestinal vein with the point of the knife. Chop the shrimp fine.
TO PREPARE THE FILLING
Set a 12-inch wok or 10-inch skillet over high heat for 30 seconds. Pour in the 2 tablespoons of oil, swirl it about in the pan and heat for another 30 seconds, turning the heat down if the oil begins to smoke. Add the pork and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until the meat loses its reddish color. Add the shrimp, soy sauce, wine, salt, water chestnuts and scallions, and stir-fry for another minute, or until the shrimp turn pink. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir to recombine it and pour it into the pan. Stir constantly until the liquid thickens, then transfer the contents of the pan to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
Cut homemade wonton wrappers or ready-made egg-roll wrappers into 3-½-inch squares. Ready-made wonton wrappers are already cut.
TO ASSEMBLE THE WONTON
Place a heaped teaspoon of the filling in the center of each wrapper. With a finger dipped in water, moisten the edges of the wrapper. Then bring one corner up over the filling to the opposite corner, but fold the wrapper at an angle so that two overlapping triangles are formed, with their points side by side and about ½-inch apart. Pull the two bottom corners of the folded triangle forward and below the folded edge so that they meet one another and slightly overlap, to create a kind of frame around the mound of filling. Moisten one end with a finger dipped in water and pinch the two ends firmly together. As each wonton is finished, place it on a plate and cover it with a dry towel. If the wonton must wait longer than 30 minutes before cooking, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
TO COOK
Set a 12-inch wok or 10-inch skillet over high heat and pour 3 cups of oil into it. Heat the oil until a haze forms above it or it registers 375 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer. Deep-fry the wonton, 8 or 10 at a time, for 2 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden. Transfer them to paper towels to drain while you fry the rest.
Serve attractively arranged on a heated platter. Fried wontons can be kept warm for an hour or so in a 250 degree oven, or reheated for 5 minutes in a 450 degree oven.