2 Chicken Wontons

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There are not many chicken wonton recipes using only chicken as the main ingredient. Most include some amount of pork. Why? Because we Chinese love our pigs. Okay, just kidding.

Eating pork in Singapore is so normal, I didn't even think anyone (except Muslims and Jews) would refuse to eat pork. However when I was staying in Melbourne, I realized that there are many people who don't eat pork because they don't like it.

Some friends avoid pork like the plague and wouldn't touch anything with pork in them. Some abstain because of ethical reasons, others because they claim that the pork has a very strong smell that they dislike. So, the problem these friends of mine face is the difficulty in finding wontons without pork.

Many Chinese restaurants serve chicken wontons, but they are likely to contain a little pork fat. Pork fat makes the wontons juicier. I know it seems to defeat the purpose but adding a bit of fatty pork for juiciness is a very common practice in chinese cooking. 

Now, when wontons are homemade, you call the shots. You add what you like. So, start making your own 100% chicken wontons with these chicken wonton recipes.

Absolutely porkless!

1. Chicken wontons with mushroom

Ingredients for filling

  • 4 pieces of chicken fillets
  • 150g diced Chinese mushrooms
  • 1/2 egg white
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp sesame seed oil
  • 1 tsp cornstarch

Other Ingredients

  • 1 packet of wonton skins
  • 2 stalks of bok choy or choy sum
  • 1 stalk of Chinese parsley or cilantro or coriander
  • Salt and pepper
  • Dash of sesame seed oil

Directions

  1. If you are using dried Chinese mushrooms, soak with warm water, wash, drain and dice. If you are using fresh mushrooms, you don't have to soak them
  2. Mince the chicken fillets manually or use a food processor. Mix the minced chicken with the seasonings for filling, with cornstarch going in last
  3. Add the diced mushrooms. Leave to stand and marinate
  4. Wrap the wontons
  5. Boil water and cook the wontons. Drain and leave aside
  6. Wash and cut the mustard greens
  7. Bring a pot of water to boil, add a little oil and blanch the mustard greens. Careful not to overcook it
  8. Prepare the wonton soup
  9. Pour the soup into serving bowls, add the wontons and mustard greens
  10. Sprinkle with Chinese parsley, salt, pepper and sesame seed oil before serving

2. Chicken wontons and ginger

Ingredients for Filling

  • 600g chicken fillets
  • 2 stalks spring onion
  • 8g ginger
  • 3/4 cup cold water
  • 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp fine sugar

Other Ingredients

  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 packet wonton wrappers

Directions

  1. Wash and cut the spring onions and ginger into smaller pieces
  2. Process the spring onions and ginger in a food processor together with the cold water. Remove from food processor
  3. Wash and cut the chicken fillets into small pieces
  4. Process the chicken fillets with the food processor together with the seasonings for filling. Mix well
  5. Add the spring onions and ginger mixture to the minced meat. Do this slowly or in small batches if you are using the food processor. This ensures that the spring onion and ginger mixture is well absorbed by the minced meat
  6. Add seasonings 2, with cornstarch going in last
  7. Wrap the wontons
  8. Prepare the wonton soup
  9. Boil water and cook the wontons
  10. Drain using a slotted spoon
  11. Pour soup into serving bowls, add the wontons

Made too many wontons?

The proportion in these chicken wonton recipes may result in you making way too many wontons for consumption in one sitting unless you are holding a party. Learn to freeze and store the wontons.

Happy Souping, Phoebe