Deep-Fried Wontons
Have more filled wontons than you need? Freeze and use the next time you're making Wonton Soup. Thaw before adding to the soup.
YIELDS 30–35 wontons
INGREDIENTS
- 3 medium dried mushrooms
- 1½ cups ground pork
- ½ cup canned bamboo shoots, shredded
- 1½ green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 slice ginger
- 2 teaspoons black rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 package wonton wrappers
- 4–6 cups oil for deep-frying
Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for at least 20 minutes to soften. Drain, remove the stems, and slice finely. Shred the bamboo shoots.
Combine the ground pork, bamboo shoots, green onions, dried mushrooms, ginger, black rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.
Add oil to a preheated wok and heat to 375°F. While waiting for the oil to heat, wrap the wontons. Lay the wrapper in a square shape in front of you. Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the wonton wrapper in half lengthwise, making sure the ends meet. Roll the wonton wrapper over again, being sure to keep the filling centered. Wet the ends. Bring the corners together so that one overlaps the other, and seal. Continue with the remainder of the wontons. Cover the completed wontons with a damp towel to prevent drying.
Carefully slide a few wontons at a time into the wok. Deep-fry until they turn golden (about 2 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Maintaining Oil Temperature During Deep-frying
To prevent greasy food, it's important to keep the oil temperature from dropping substantially during deep-frying. This can be tricky, since it is normal for the temperature to drop when food is first added to the wok. One solution is to heat the oil to a higher temperature than called for in the recipe. For example, if the instructions state the food should be deep-fried at 350°F, wait until the oil temperature reaches 355–360°F before starting to deep-fry.
