Chicken and Chili Dumplings

Chicken & Prawn Wonton with Chilli oil

Perfect little delicate wontons coated in oil brings a gradual warm burn to the mouth, but at the same time does not leave you feeling sucker punched. It is a popular South China dish which can also be served in a light broth. It is a type of chicken noodle soup for the soul but packed in perfect parcels. It brings a smile to everyone’s faces.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8 (makes around 40 wontons)

340g ground chicken, preferably dark meat

120g fresh prawns

2 large cloves garlic, minced

4 spring onions, minced

3-4cm ginger, minced

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp ground white pepper

1 pack wonton wrapper

Chilli oil

150ml sunflower or vegetable oil

2 tbsp dried chilli flakes

2 tsp Sichuan peppers

1 tbsp peanuts

3-4 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp salt

Pickling

½-1 medium cucumber, halved and sliced

2 banana shallots

4 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp castor sugar

To serve

1 spring onion, sliced diagonally

1-2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. To make pickling, peel and halve the cucumber lengthways and slice thinly. Peel the shallots and slice thinly. Mix the white wine vinegar and sugar together in bowl until sugar has dissolved, and place the prepared cucumber and shallots in. Cling film and place in fridge.

2. For the chilli oil, place chilli flakes, peanuts, and salt into a heat proof bowl and set aside. Heat frying pan with oil over medium heat then place in the Sichuan peppers, cinnamon, and star anise until the aromas start to release. Have sieve ready over the bowl of prepared dried chilli flakes and pass the oil through sieve. There will be an immediate bubbling and sizzle so pay careful attention. Mix with spoon and allow to cool.

3. Place the chicken meat in the food processor with the prawns and blend until they become homogenised. If you do not have a food processor you can ground the chicken and prawns with cleaver, then mix by hand until it is all homogenised.

4. Add to the ground chicken and prawn minced garlic, spring onions, ginger, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, oyster sauce, ground white pepper, and blend once more until it has all come together. If you are doing this by hand, mix with your hand in a kneading motion in a bowl until it all comes together. You can taste the filling by cooking around a tsp in a steamer or microwave and add more seasoning if needed.

5. Have wonton wrappers and small bowl water. Fill the center of the wrapper around 1-1½ tsp filling and wet the sides of the wrapper with your finger. Fold the wrapper from one corner to the other so you make a triangle shape, and press to make sure there are no air pockets. Then wet both side corners of the triangle with your finger, bring it together, and squeeze. Repeat to make more wontons.

6. In medium-large saucepan, fill it just over half way with water, add 2 pinches salt, and allow to boil. Add the wontons a batch at a time (make sure you don't overcrowd or it will cook slower). These will take around 5 minutes to cook or until they float to the surface.

7. To serve, place in wontons in desired bowl, add chilli oil on top with toasted sesame seeds, and sliced spring onions. Along the side of the bowl, place the pickled cucumber and shallots. Bon appetite!!!!