one ton o' wontons

I was craving homemade ravioli. Being a bit impatient, I bought wonton wrappers to shortcut the cranking out of homemade pasta. When I went searching for tips and hints, however, I found this recipe on Martha's website. This wonton soup looked way too good to pass up. And what better use for wonton wrappers for than actual wontons. Ravioli can wait -- now I want wontons.

Minor modifications: The original recipe called for ground pork, which I substituted for ground chicken. I used less scallions than Martha -- she must love onions -- but I used more ginger and soy sauce. I also threw in some shaved carrots at the end for added colour.

wonton soup
serves 3-4

1/2 C finely chopped cabbage (Napa or Savoy)
course salt
3/4 C ground chicken (or pork)
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 - 2 Tbs fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 teas soy sauce
1 1/2 teas toasted sesame oil
24 wonton wrappers (thawed, if frozen)
3 1/2 C low-sodium chicken broth
2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 teas rice vinegar
1/2 carrot, peeled and finely sliced

To make the wontons: In a small bowl, toss cabbage with 1/2 teas salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Wrap in paper towels and firmly squeeze out liquid. Meanwhile, toss together meat, scallions, ginger, soy sauce and and 1 teas of sesame oil in a medium bowl. Add dried cabbage. Mix well with fork and refrigerate until ready to use.




Working with one wrapper at a time (keeping the rest under a damp towel), spoon a teaspoon of filling in the center. With dampened fingers, wet the edges and fold wrapper in half (forming a triangle) over filling. Press edges firmly to seal. Moisten the tips along the long side of the triangle and bring together, overlapping and pressing together. Fold remaining corner towards the back. Place on an oiled plate and cover with a damp towel. Fill and form remaining wontons.

To make the soup: In large pot, combine broth with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add wontons one at a time and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until wontons are cooked through (about 6-8 minutes). Stir in scallions, carrots, vinegar, and remaining 1/2 teas sesame oil. Season with salt, if necessary, and serve.