MAKES ABOUT 40 WON-TON
Owing to their paper-thin wrappers and tiny, hatlike shape, won-ton as we make them at China Moon are very delicate. In this recipe they are poached and dressed simply with an herbal vinaigrette.
Work with only the freshest shrimp. Or, substitute scallops or crab if you like. The won-ton can be wrapped and poached up to a day in advance and then plunged into simmering water for a last-minute reheating.
Helpful hosts provide their guests with Chinese spoons (or some other deep-bowled spoons) along with poached won-ton. Spearing a boiled won-ton with a chopstick is akin to landing a live fish with a fork.
FILLING AND WRAPPERS:
6 fresh water chestnuts, finely diced
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
½ cup thinly sliced green and white scallion rings
1 tablespoon finely minced smoked ham
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon China Moon Hot Chili Oil (page 10) or China Moon Chili-Lemon Oil (page 12)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 egg white, beaten to a froth
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and minced
About 40 thinnest possible, 3-inch-square won-ton skins
2 egg yolks, beaten (optional)
SAUCE:
½ cup Five-Flavor Oil (page 13)
2 tablespoons juice from China Moon Pickled Ginger (page 8)
3 tablespoons minced coriander leaves and stems
¼ teaspoon Roasted Szechwan Pepper-Salt (page 5)
Diced red bell pepper and coriander sprigs, for garnish
1. To make the filling, combine all of the ingredients through the egg white in a large mixing bowl. Add the shrimp and stir briskly in one direction until thoroughly blended. Poach a dab of the filling in simmering water until cooked. Taste, then adjust the filling with a dash more of this or that if your tongue desires. If you are working in advance, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the filling and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
2. Shape and poach the won-ton following steps 2 and 3 on pages 95 and 96. If you are poaching the won-ton in advance, rewarm them in a large pot of barely simmering water until thoroughly heated through, about 3 minutes.
3. Just before serving, whisk the sauce ingredients to emulsify.
4. Portion the drained won-ton among heated serving bowls of contrasting color. Ziggle a spoonful of sauce on top, garnish with a scattering of the bell pepper dice and a coriander sprig or two, then serve at once.
Dumpling wrappers are sold in many thicknesses in a traditional Chinese market, all depending upon whether the dumplings are to be poached, fried, or steamed. Wrappers for boiled dumplings are of medium thickness—nearly 1/32 inch thick—a great contrast to paper-thin “shao-mai” steamed dumpling wrappers, for instance. Boiled dumpling wrappers, called something on the order of “sue-gow skins” in English translation, are available in many Chinese groceries with a large fresh noodle shelf. If you cannot find them, try using the somewhat thicker pot-sticker skins, or make a super-supple wrapper yourself, following the recipe in my first cookbook, “The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking.” Medium-thick won-ton wrappers can also be used; just use a 3½-inch cookie cutter to cut circles from the squares. (For more on wrappers, see page 337.)
MENU SUGGESTIONS: For a light and elegant one-dish summer dinner, accompany the won-ton with a salad of baby greens and a dish of Cold-Tossed Corn Relish (page 441) or a platter of steamed corn or asparagus. Or, in a different mood, you might garnish them with Turmeric Tomatoes (page 59) and serve them as an appetizer, to be followed by a light poultry dish, such as Ma-La Steamed Poussin with Roasted Szechwan Pepper-Salt (page 153).