The Birth of a Wonton

Ok, so I've expounded on the virtues of the Thai Meatball but I haven't explained how easy it is for this simple delight to morph into another tasty morsel equally revered in many a kitchen. With a quick intermission to set the stage with the appropriate utensils and a clean area to work, the costume change makes this meatball recognizable to the public at large as, you guessed it, the beloved stuffed Wonton.

In secret-spy fashion, Ketsana leaned in close and quietly explained how the Thai Meatball is really a stuffed wonton without its coat. In the same mind meld session where she discloses the secrets of Pork and Tofu soup, she casually mentions that wonton soup is really just another movie with the same cast: a deep rich chicken broth, veggies of your choice and of course, fresh or frozen stuffed wontons.

Putting it all together is where the fun happens and where it may also be desirable to have a little help in the kitchen to make this a quick and painless experience. If you have kids, maybe not so quick or painless, but it will be fun for them and perhaps an opportunity to introduce a new take on an old favorite, pasta and meatballs. They will feel proud and maybe even willing to try something new they helped to create. If you have to do it on your own, no worries, since it's often the case for me, too. I make sure to have everything ready and within reach before getting started. You won't need much except the following:

Helpful, but not necessary tools:
Cookie sheet
Pastry brush
Small bowl of water
Small army of little kitchen munchkins (kids love to help with this part!)

Ingredients:
Wonton wrappers
Thai Meatballs (see Thai Meatballs-Your New Best Friend)

1. Lay out wrappers. For this exercise, let's assume you have the Thai meatballs ready to go, either freshly made or still frozen from your freezer (no need to thaw, if frozen). On a cookie sheet, lay wonton wrappers flat and brush the edge of each wrapper lightly with your pastry brush dipped in a little water to moisten the edges, working with no more than 8 wrappers at a time. This will moisten the edge enough to ensure the wontons seal properly and don't lose their meatball during the cooking process. I'm a slowpoke and find that working with fewer wontons ensures that I get them all sealed before drying out. Oh, and if you don't have a pastry brush, improvise by using your finger to moisten the edges.
   
2. Add the meatball and seal. Place a meatball into the center of each wrapper and either fold the edges over to seal and make a triangle or just squish the ends together to seal tightly. No need to be Rambo, just make sure the edges stick together and can keep the meatball tucked neatly inside. If you do it assembly-line style, it goes quicker and one person can be laying out wrappers, moistening the edges while another places the meatball and seals the edges. Again, work with fewer at a time to get the hang of it. You don't want the wrappers to dry out and get brittle. To ensure they stay flexible, keep the unused wrappers covered with a damp, not wet, paper towl and cover the finished wontons lightly with a kitchen towel until you are done. Whatever method works for you, but the end goal is to keep them all from drying out before you're done making the rest.
3. Freeze for later use. Once done, keep out what you need for tonight's meal, if any, and set the entire tray of extra wontons into the freezer to flash freeze for 20 minutes. Just make sure that the wontons aren't touching or on top of one another since the purpose of this step is to allow the wontons to freeze separately (that's right, just like we did with the meatballs) so that later, you can take out just what you need without having to defrost a block of wontons when you only need a few. After 20 minutes or once frozen, remove the wontons from the tray, put in a freezer bag or container, seal and pop back in the freezer for later use. Remember, when adding frozen wontons to a soup, no need to thaw them out first. They will float right to the surface (just like the Thai Meatballs) when they are fully cooked, whether used fresh or frozen.
   

Tip: As for how many wrappers, what size, etc. I usually use the thin square wrappers. Experiment with what works best for you. If the meatballs are too large, they'll bust right out of their coats so you always want to choose a wrapper that will easily fit the meatball and allow you to get a good seal around the edges. Also, whatever meatballs you have leftover can go safely back into the freezer for later use. Just use the flash-freeze method I mentioned above to freeze them separately for 20 minutes (making sure the meatballs aren't touching or they'll freeze together that way) and then put into a freezer bag or container for storing in the freezer. And if they happen to stick together and freeze that way, don't worry, they'll separate when cooked so don't try to pull them apart.

Maybe you've already guessed but, a potsticker is nothing but a stuffed wonton in a round wrapper that has been crimped around the edges to make it look pretty. These bad boys can be steamed, thrown into a soup or pan fried and served with your favorite dipping sauce such as a Thai pesto made with holy basil or even a simple sweet and sour. Talk about versatility. Need an appetizer for guests that just popped in, a soup to start your dining extravaganza or just a late night nibbly? You'll have it all on hand by always making more than you really need. If you're going to do the work anyway, make an extra batch to make it all worthwhile.

Wonton Soup-The New Comfort Food

Many years ago, I had wonton soup from Kinhdho in Uptown during a time of much duress and heartbreak in my life. To this day, nothing quite says, "Everything's gonna be alright" like wonton soup. This delicate soup has all the comforts of a full meal deal and so little complexity that it makes you wonder why this soup isn't a quick and dirty favorite in most American households. My mission is simple.

Their secret is the broth and much to my delight, Ketsana taught me a secret about broth making which makes recreating this Asian standard a breeze and her version is even better than theirs. Now, I no longer yearn for a trip into Uptown or out to Ketsana's to have what my soul craves. The best opportunities for this dish come from having a simple chicken broth on hand. As I've said before, canned or powder will always do in a pinch, but test yourself with how easy it is to make your own and I doubt you'll ever go back. In fact, you'll forever be looking for excuses to make this dish out of leftovers such as roasted chicken. Recovering the pan juices from dishes like this, freezing them if needbe for later use, will become a guilty pleasure. Little do you know just what gourmet indulgences await you with a little forward thinking or as is the case for me, an intense need to stretch the bounty and make the most delicious use out of everything in my crazy kitchen stadium.

For the purists, I begin with the whole shebang. From broth to tablecloth. In the future, I will begin a section about the best use for leftovers and some suggestions for how we make the most of our meals. I'll also be providing the Quick and Dirty Diaries of ways we've substituted, American-ized or shrink-wrapped our more time consuming favorites. Let's begin.

Chicken Broth:
Whole chicken, split breasts or thighs
Enough water to cover
2-3 bay leaves
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot, split in half
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

1. Bring to a boil. Nothing could be easier. Put all ingredients into a stock pot large enough to fit your chicken and enough cold water to entirely cover the chicken. It's important to start with all ingredients cold, including the water, but I don't know the exact reason why. I do believe it has something to do with the clarity of the broth, though. It's how I was taught and I've no reason to stray. Put the pot on the stove and bring to a boil over high heat. The minute it starts to come to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and cover.
2. Cool and strain. Let cool entirely and any fat that has rendered will be easy to skim off the top. What's left is a beautiful, clear broth and tender chicken that hasn't had its soul sucked out of it. Strain out all of the ingredients and by all means, save the chicken for another dish or better yet, add it to your soup if you wish. Follow the steps below to complete the soup and freeze any unused broth for later use.

Soup:
Broth from above
salt, to taste
frozen stuffed wontons (see The Birth of a Wonton)
fresh snow peas, julienned or whole
carrots, julienned

Garnish:
green onions, julienned
fresh bean sprouts
caramelized onions, (see Thai Meatballs for recipe)

1. Reheat broth. Because the veggies are julienned, they will "cook" on contact with the heated broth. If your broth is frozen, no problem, just reheat on a medium-high heat until it has begun to boil. Reduce the heat so it doesn't boil over if you need to.
2. Add wontons. Drop in frozen wontons one by one being careful not to overload the pot which will cause the boil to drop, taking longer for the wontons to cook. They will float to the surface when cooked and the wontons will turn a bit transparent. When they float, they are indeed done. When in doubt, test one yourself.
3. Garnish and serve. To serve, ladle broth and wontons into a bowl over veggies and garnish or serve family style.

Note: Serving size is a subjective topic I wish to avoid because I, for one, could eat an entire pot of this all by myself. Having said that, a good rule of thumb is about 1 c. of broth/4 wontons for a starter soup portion or double that for an entree size. Around my house, we continue adding wontons and veggies until the very last drop has been licked clean.

There are two different ways to serve this soup; family style, which allows you to serve the broth and wontons at the table in a serving dish with the veggies and garnishes served separately thereby allowing each guest to customize their own soup and choose their own ingredients. An alternate way is to serve it already bowled-up. Put the carrots and snow peas into the bowl, ladle the soup broth and wontons over top and garnish with the green onions, caramelized onions and sprouts. I highly recommend experimenting with veggies you love or happen to have handy. No sprouts? Don't use them. Have celery but no carrots? Fine by me. If you are a celery lover, knock yourself out. Don't have any wontons handy? Well, guess what, there's a name for that, too, and it's called "Put the Chicken Back In" a.k.a "Chicken Soup" or "Wonton Soup for the Broke-Asses". Yep, been there, done that, too.