[SZECHUAN] RED OIL WONTONS

I'm so excited to share this popular Szechuan dish with you! My husband and I first tried these delicious red oil wontons at a small restaurant in Chinatown, NYC. I still remember when we took our first bite of this juicy little snack served with a tasty chili sauce.  There were no words to describe how good it was... it was the perfect blend of savory, spicy, and slightly sweet. Unable to find them quite as good here in Texas, I decided to try and make my own.  They're fairly easy to make once you have the wonton wrapping technique down.  

Ingredients

1/2 lb. ground pork

1/4 lb. shrimp (chopped)

1 C romaine lettuce or nappa cabbage (finely chopped)

1/4 C fresh or dried shitake mushrooms (finely chopped)

1/4 C chicken broth

1/4 C soy sauce

1 T rice wine

1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 pkg wonton wrappers (~40)

scallions

Dipping Sauce
1 T of homemade chili oil

2 tablespoons black vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder
1 stalk of scallion (finely chopped)

Wrapping Station: 

• Wonton wrappers

• Small bowl of water

• Small spoon  

• Cutting board or other flat surface

• Two plates covered with saran wrap and dusted with flour - This will prevent your wontons from sticking to the plate.  If you're not planning on cooking all of them right away, place the extra plate of wontons straight into the freezer while you fill the other plate. Once the wontons firm up in the freezer, store them away in ziplock bags and put them back in the freezer.  

Wrapping Technique:

1. Lay a sheet of wrapper on a flat surface in the position of a diamond.  
2. Place a small scoop of the meat mixture in the center.
3. Slightly wet the edges with your index finger.
4. Fold the bottom corner up until the points meet.  Gently smooth the edges down until they're tightly sealed.  
5. Take the two bottom ends and bring them together by sealing the ends with a little bit of water.  
6. Done! :)

Once all the wontons are wrapped, place them in a large pot of boiling water. Cook until all the wontons float up to the top (~5-10 minutes) and take them out with a slotted spoon. 

Drizzle generously with your dipping sauce and garnish with some scallions before serving. Enjoy! :)