Shanghai Wonton Soup (上海大馄饨)

4 standard portions

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Ingredients

• 30 wonton wrappers ( (*Footnote 1))
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 pound baby bok choy (, and extra for garnish if desired (*Footnote 2))
• 1/2 pound ground pork ( (*Footnote 3))
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 scallion (, thinly sliced )
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 8 cups wonton cooking water (, divided (*Footnote 4))
• 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder (, divided)
• 4 teaspoons light soy sauce (, divided )
• 8 teaspoons dried papery shrimp ((or 4 teaspoons oyster sauce), divided)
• Chinese dried seaweed ((Optional but highly recommended))
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oi (, divided )
• 1 scallion (, thinlu sliced and divided )

Method

1. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water until softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water. Remove and discard the stems, then finely mince the caps.
2. Cut off the root end of the baby bok choy and separate the leaves. Soak them in cold water for 3 minutes, then rinse thoroughly under running water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the bok choy and blanch until tender but still slightly crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain thoroughly and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as possible, then finely chop the bok choy into 1/4-inch (5 mm) pieces. You can blanch a few extra bok choy leaves for garnish if you wish, and set them aside.
3. Combine the ground pork, egg, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and ginger in a large bowl. Mix in one direction for about 3 minutes, until all the liquid is fully absorbed and the mixture becomes sticky.
4. Add the bok choy, scallion, shiitake mushrooms, and sesame oil. Mix until evenly combined.
5. Set up a wrapping station by placing the wonton wrappers on a plate and covering them with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Prepare a small bowl of water for sealing the wrappers.
6. Working one wonton at a time, place a wrapper on your palm with one corner pointing toward you. Dip your finger into the water and lightly wet all four edges of the wrapper.
7. Place about 2 teaspoons of filling (*Footnote 5) in the center. Fold the bottom corner up to meet the top corner, forming a triangle. Press firmly around the filling to seal, squeezing out as much air as possible. Wet the two corners beside the filling, bring them together so they overlap, and press firmly to seal.
8. Arrange the wrapped wontons on a tray. Cover with plastic wrap or damp paper towels while you finish the remaining wontons.
9. Prepare individual serving bowls (large enough to hold about 3 cups of soup). To each bowl, add: 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, 2 teaspoons dried papery shrimp (or 1 teaspoon oyster sauce), 1 palm-sized piece of dried seaweed.
10. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the number of wontons you plan to serve, making sure they are not crowded (they should fit in a single layer with minimal overlap). Gently stir once or twice to prevent them from sticking to the bottom.
11. Cook until the wontons float to the surface. Continue gently boiling for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the filling is just cooked through.
12. Transfer the wontons to the prepared serving bowls, then ladle about 2 cups of the cooking water into each bowl. Taste the broth and adjust with additional chicken bouillon or soy sauce if needed.
13. Garnish with scallions, extra blanched baby bok choy if using, and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve immediately.
14. Freeze the uncooked wontons on a tray in a single layer. Once frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.
15. Cook frozen wontons directly from the freezer using the same method as fresh wontons. Add 1 to 2 extra minutes to the cooking time.