Spicy Peanut Noodles (top) and Pork and Shrimp Wontons (bottom). And, in the small dish, dumplings made with the same wonton filling.
Peanut noodles and wontons are two items from the standard Chinese takeout menu you probably crave often. Even if you’re new to cooking with Asian ingredients, these standbys are not at all difficult to prepare. Not to mention, your homemade version will be cheaper and tastier than anything sent by bicycle.
Spicy Peanut Noodles (top) and Pork and Shrimp Wontons (bottom). And, in the small dish, dumplings made with the same wonton filling.
Spicy Peanut Noodles
You can’t argue with good peanut noodles: They are always satisfying. What’s more, they can be served hot, cold, or somewhere in between. You can make a batch of the sauce and keep it in the fridge for several days. These noodles are otherwise unadorned, but feel free to add tofu, cooked chicken, or sliced cucumbers.
¼ cup chunky peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark Chinese vinegar (or substitute a smaller amount of red wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons Chinese hot chile paste or sambal oelek
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons grated or minced garlic
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon sake
1 pound fresh Chinese noodles or dried udon noodles
¼ cup thinly sliced scallion greens
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Use a spoon or sturdy rubber spatula to mash the peanut butter with the soy sauce and vinegar in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the sesame oil, chile paste, ginger, garlic, mirin, and sake. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Cook the noodles in well-salted water until just tender. Drain well, then return to the (now empty) pot. Toss with the spicy peanut sauce and transfer to a platter or individual bowls. Sprinkle with the scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds. Makes 4 servings
Pork and Shrimp Wontons
Packages of high-quality wonton skins are available at any Asian grocery and many supermarkets, and then it’s just a matter of filling and folding them. Once they hit the boiling water, they need only 2 minutes. This spicy pork and shrimp filling, with plenty of ginger and garlic chives, is delicious, and it can be prepared hours ahead (in fact, it must be chilled for at least half an hour). If you would rather make dumplings, buy round dumpling wrappers instead and use the same filling.
½ pound ground pork, not too lean
½ pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped into ¼-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon sweet rice wine, such as Shaoxing (or substitute sherry)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1 teaspoon spicy Chinese bean paste (also called chili bean sauce) or Chinese chile paste
2 serrano chiles, finely chopped
1 cup chopped Chinese garlic chives (or substitute ¾ cup chopped scallions)
About 30 wonton skins (about 3 by 3 inches)
1 small egg, beaten
Cornstarch for dusting
½ pound baby spinach (optional)
6 to 8 cups Blond Chicken Broth, heated and seasoned to taste
Cilantro sprigs for garnish
Put the pork and shrimp in a chilled bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix briefly with chopsticks, wet hands, or a wooden spoon. Add the rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, bean paste, serrano chiles, and garlic chives and mix well. Panfry a small patty of the mixture to check the seasoning, and adjust if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
To prepare the wontons, remove a few wonton skins from the package and lay them out on a dry work surface. Put 1 teaspoon filling in the center of each skin. Then paint the edges of each square lightly with egg, gently fold over one side to make a rectangle, and pinch the edges together. Now pull the two lower corners of each one in toward each other and pinch together to make the traditional curved wonton shape. Place the wontons 1 inch apart on a baking sheet or platter, and repeat with the remaining skins and filling; you should have about 30 wontons. Dust lightly with cornstarch and refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to cook.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, divide the spinach, if using, among deep wide soup bowls.
When the water is boiling, drop about 10 wontons into the pot and cook for about 2 minutes, until they rise to the top. Remove with a spider or a large sieve and divide among the bowls. Repeat with the remaining wontons.
Pour about 1 cup hot broth over each serving. Drizzle with hot pepper oil, garnish with cilantro sprigs, and serve. Makes about 30 wontons; 6 to 8 servings
Clockwise from top left: Dumpling wrappers, fresh noodles, and wonton wrappers.