Sichuan Wontons in Chili Oil
红油抄手·(hóng yóu chāo shǒu)
Chapter 4: Char Siu, Fillings & The Tea Sauce Repertoire
Dim sum is about rhythm and patience, and nowhere is that more evident than in a proper bowl of Sichuan wontons. You don't throw this together on a Tuesday; you dedicate a quiet evening to simmering sweet aromatic soy sauce until it coats the back of a spoon, and a Saturday morning rolling out a silky, egg-enriched dough. The filling is a physical exercise in emulsion—stirring fatty pork and shrimp in one unyielding direction until it achieves that legendary bounce. When these elements finally collide in a shallow bowl, slicked with brilliant red chili oil and raw garlic, you've mastered one of the most explosive, rewarding bites in the global dim sum repertoire.
Before you start
Prepare the sweet aromatic soy sauce well ahead of time.
Combine 1 cup light soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, dark brown sugar, the 1-inch piece of smashed ginger, star anise, cassia bark, sand ginger, and fennel seeds in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, immediately drop to the lowest setting, and simmer uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes until syrupy. Strain and cool.
Steep the aromatic water for the meat filling.
Soak the smashed scallion, two ginger slices, and Sichuan peppercorns in 3 tablespoons of hot water. Squeeze the aromatics to release their oils, strain the liquid, and allow it to cool completely to room temperature.
Ingredients
- light soy sauce1 cup
- water1/2 cup
- dark brown sugar1/3 cup
- fresh ginger1 inch piece
- star anise1 large
- cassia bark1 small piece
- dried sand ginger3 med slices
- fennel seeds1/2 tsp
- all-purpose flour1 1/2 cup
- cornstarch1 tbsp
- large egg white1 large
- water1/3 cup
- fine sea salt1/4 tsp
- ground pork1/2 lb
- raw shrimp1/4 lb
- scallion1 med
- fresh ginger2 med slices
- Sichuan peppercorns1/2 tsp
- hot water3 tbsp
- light soy sauce1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- Shaoxing rice wine1 tsp
- fine sea salt1/2 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- tapioca starch1 tbsp
- Sichuan chili oil2 tbsp
- Chinkiang black vinegar2 tsp
- raw garlic1 small clove
- toasted sesame seeds1/4 tsp
- scallion1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Whisk the egg white, room-temperature water, and salt, then vigorously stir into the flour and cornstarch until a shaggy flock forms.
The dough will feel exceptionally stiff and dry, but do not add water; bring it together with your hands, wrap it tightly in plastic, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to autolyse.
- 02
Knead the rested dough for five minutes until perfectly smooth.
Run the dough through a pasta machine progressively down to setting 5 or 6, dust the sheets generously with cornstarch, and cut into exact 3.5-inch squares.
- 03
Combine the pork, shrimp, soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, salt, pepper, and tapioca starch in a large bowl.
Using a pair of chopsticks or your hand, begin stirring the mixture vigorously in one direction only.
- 04
Gradually incorporate the strained aromatic water while maintaining the unidirectional stirring.
Continue stirring for three to four minutes until the mixture transforms from loose ground meat into a pale, sticky, and highly cohesive paste, then chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
- 05
Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of a wrapper and moisten the outer edges with water.
Fold diagonally into a triangle, pressing firmly to expel all air pockets, then bring the two opposite bottom corners down and across each other, moistening the meeting point to pinch tightly into the crossed-hands shape.
- 06
Build the serving bowls by combining a tablespoon and a half of the sweet aromatic soy sauce, chili oil, black vinegar, garlic paste, sesame seeds, and sliced scallion in each.
Prepare these bowls before you begin cooking the wontons so they are ready to receive the hot dumplings straight from the pot.
- 07
Drop the wontons into a rapid boil and gently nudge the water in a circular motion to prevent sticking.
When the pot returns to a violent, rolling boil, pour in a half cup of cold water—a technique called dian shui—to drop the temperature and protect the delicate wrappers from tearing.
- 08
Cook until the wontons float, turn plump, and become translucent, then remove with a slotted spoon.
Drop the hot wontons directly into the prepared sauce bowls, toss gently to coat every crevice in the brilliant red oil, and serve immediately.
Notes
Sichuan wontons are incredibly forgiving for hosts because the components can be entirely prepared in advance.
You can freeze the folded wontons directly on a sheet tray before transferring them to a zip-top bag. They do not need to be thawed before cooking; simply boil them directly from frozen, adding one extra minute to the cooking time.
From Cook Dim Sum at Home.