PORK WONTONS WITH SESAME SAUCE

Pork Wontons With Sesame Sauce image

This folding technique is easier than an elaborate pleated dumpling. Quickly boiling instead of frying them is a foolproof cooking method that gives you dumplings that are just as good at room temperature as they are fresh out of the pot.

Provided by Lisa Cheng Smith

Categories Bon Appétit Dinner Lunar New Year Pork Noodle Sesame Sesame Oil Tree Nut Free Dairy Free Peanut Free Soy Sauce Ginger Green Onion/Scallion

Yield 8 regular or 16 small servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

Wontons:
1 lb. ground pork
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. soy paste
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 tsp. finely grated peeled ginger
1 tsp. rice wine
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground white pepper (optional)
1 large egg
48 wonton wrappers
Sesame sauce and assembly:
3 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp. Chinese toasted sesame paste or tahini
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1-3 Tbsp. store-bought or homemade chili crisp; plus more for serving (optional)
Thinly sliced scallions (for serving)

Steps:

Wontons:
Using your hands, mix pork, scallion, soy paste, sesame oil, grapeseed oil, ginger, wine, salt, and pepper (if using) in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Crack egg into center of mixture and stir vigorously in one direction with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until mixture is shaggy and lightened in color, about 4 minutes. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes and up to 12 hours.
Fill a small bowl with cold water. Take a wonton wrapper and lay it in your palm. Using a small offset spatula or butter knife, press about 1 tsp. pork mixture into the center of wrapper. Dip a finger into water and run it around edges. Fold wrapper in half on a diagonal and press edges tightly together to seal. Dip your finger into water again and dampen 2 bottom corners of wonton. Bring corners together and pinch to seal. Place on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling. Cover and chill until ready to cook.
Do Ahead: Wontons can be assembled 1 day ahead. Keep chilled, or freeze up to 1 month. Freeze in a single layer on baking sheet until frozen, then transfer to an airtight container. Cook from frozen, about 4 minutes.
Sesame sauce and assembly:
Whisk oil, sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl to combine, then whisk in water, 1-tablespoonful at a time, until you can drizzle sauce easily but it's not watery. If using chili crisp, stir in 1-3 Tbsp., depending on how spicy you want your sauce; set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Working in batches of up to 10 at a time, boil wontons until wrappers are puckered and tightly wrapped around filling (filling should be cooked through; slice one open to double-check if unsure), about 3 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer to a plate; let cool slightly.
Divide wontons among bowls and spoon reserved sauce over; top with scallions and more chili crisp if desired.