Chile Oil Wontons

This classic recipe shows you how easy - and satisfying - it is to make your own chile oil wontons at home. Shaped to resemble gold ingots, a Chinese symbol of good fortune and wealth, these wontons bring joy to every meal.

Original recipe source

Cook time: 75 minutes

Servings: 50

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• 0.25 pound shrimp chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine optional
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 0 cornstarch
• 50 wonton wrappers thawed if frozen
• 6 cloves garlic smashed and coarsely chopped
• 2 pieces scallions trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star anise
• 0.67 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts finely ground or chopped
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns optional
• 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 pieces thinly sliced scallions

Instructions

1. Combine the pork, shrimp, sesame oil, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined.
2. Dust a large rimmed baking sheet with cornstarch and fill a small bowl with water. Prepare to wrap the wontons.
3. Place a wonton wrapper in your hand like a diamond. Spoon about 1 scant tablespoon of filling in the center. Dab water on the top triangle, fold in half, and press to seal. Join two corners with a dab of water to finish sealing.
4. Combine garlic, scallions, crushed red pepper, sesame seeds, bay leaf, and star anise in a bowl. Heat vegetable oil until very hot and pour over the mixture. Stir in sweet soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and rice vinegar after it cools.
5. Combine the ground peanuts, Sichuan peppercorns, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a small bowl. This will be your garnish.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the wontons in batches. When the wontons float to the top, they are cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon.
7. Spoon the prepared sauce over the hot wontons. Garnish with the ground peanut mixture and thinly sliced scallions before serving.