Original video by @BrianLagerstrom — all credit to the creator.

Chili Oil Wontons

Name: Chili Oil Wontons
Yield: 30-40 wontons
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 30-40 square wonton wrappers; 454 g ground pork (1 lb, 80/20); 10 g ginger (1 tbsp, minced or grated); 10 g garlic (2 tsp, minced); 25 g scallions (about 3 tbsp, finely minced); 10 g salt (2 tsp); 5 g sugar (1 tsp); 4 g white pepper (1 1/2 tsp); 10 g soy sauce (2 tsp); 10 g sesame oil (2 tsp); 1 large egg; 400 g peanut oil (about 1 3/4 cups); 20 g gochugaru (about 2 tbsp total, divided into two 10g portions); 10 g chili flake (2 tbsp); 15 g sesame seeds (1 1/2 tbsp); 20 g garlic (4-5 cloves, minced); 2 g Szechuan peppercorn (1 tsp, ground); 15 g Chinese black vinegar (1 tbsp); 30 g soy sauce (2 tbsp); 2 g MSG (1/2 tsp); 50 g honey (2 1/2 tbsp); 60 g hot wonton cooking water (1/4 cup, reserved from poaching); scallions (for garnish)

Juicy pork wontons poached until silky and drowned in a homemade Szechuan chili oil that's smoky, garlicky, and just sweet enough. A splash of starchy cooking water loosens the sauce so it clings to every fold.

30-40 wontonsChinesewontonschili oildumplingsporkszechuan

Ingredients

For the Wonton Filling

30-40square wonton wrappers
454 gground pork · 1 lb, 80/20
10 gginger · 1 tbsp, minced or grated
10 ggarlic · 2 tsp, minced
25 gscallions · about 3 tbsp, finely minced
10 gsalt · 2 tsp
5 gsugar · 1 tsp
4 gwhite pepper · 1 1/2 tsp
10 gsoy sauce · 2 tsp
10 gsesame oil · 2 tsp
1large egg

For the Chili Oil

400 gpeanut oil · about 1 3/4 cups
20 ggochugaru · about 2 tbsp total, divided into two 10g portions
10 gchili flake · 2 tbsp
15 gsesame seeds · 1 1/2 tbsp
20 ggarlic · 4-5 cloves, minced
2 gSzechuan peppercorn · 1 tsp, ground
15 gChinese black vinegar · 1 tbsp
30 gsoy sauce · 2 tbsp
2 gMSG · 1/2 tsp
50 ghoney · 2 1/2 tbsp
60 ghot wonton cooking water · 1/4 cup, reserved from poaching
—scallions · for garnish

Steps

1
In a heat-resistant bowl, combine 10g of the gochugaru with the chili flake, sesame seeds, ground Szechuan peppercorn, and minced garlic. Set aside.
2
In a small saucepan, stir the remaining 10g of gochugaru into the 400g of peanut oil. Heat over medium heat to 350°F, until the chili powder is sizzling and the oil is orangish-red, about 4-5 minutes.
3
Strain the hot oil over the bowl of dry chilis and garlic. Stir gently and let cool until the bowl is touchable-warm.
4
Stir in the honey, soy sauce, black vinegar, and MSG. Set aside.
5
In a large bowl, combine the ground pork with the white pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, scallions, salt, sugar, and egg.
6
Mix by hand for 4-5 minutes, or with a stand mixer and paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes on medium, until the meat is sticky, opaque, and paste-like.
7
Place 15g of filling in each wonton wrapper. Wet the edges, fold corner-to-corner into a triangle, pressing out all the air, then crimp the edges 5-6 times into a beggar's pouch. Place on a parchment-lined sheet tray.
8
Refrigerate the wontons covered for at least 30 minutes, or freeze flat for 2 hours and then bag for longer storage.
9
Bring a pot of well-salted water to a high simmer, around 190-200°F. Add the wontons in batches of 12-15, lowering them in slowly with a spider or slotted spoon so they set before touching the bottom. Simmer 4 minutes total.
10
Stir 60g of the hot starchy cooking water into the chili oil. Pull the wontons out with a spider, drain briefly, and place in bowls. Spoon the chili oil generously over the top and garnish with scallions to serve.

Creator's notes

Wontons can be frozen flat for 2 hours and then bagged for longer storage. Keep the poaching water at a high simmer (190-200°F) rather than a hard boil so the wrappers don't blow out.

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