At first glance, you might wonder why I have listed ‘wontons in spicy sauce’ as a Chew Town Bites recipe. The reason is because this is a quick and easy version of the dish for you to try at home when slaving over a stove is not an option.
In this recipe I’m not going to tell you to go out and buy gow gee wrappers to hand-make your dumplings, nor am I going to make you simmer a spicy sauce over the cook top. For this Chew Town bites dish, you are only going to need frozen wonton dumplings from your local Asian grocer, a pot of boiling water, a microwave, bowl and handful of ingredients.
Scotty and I were first introduced to this dish on our February trip to Melbourne, when I took Scotty to one of my favourite Chinese places – China Red. Located in a little mall in China Town, China Red is the sibling restaurant to Hutong Dumpling Bar and is the most fun you can have at a restaurant with thanks to a touch screen and an iphone stop watch. At China Red, the menu is found on your table’s own touch screen. All food and drinks are ordered from the touch screen and once you have placed your order all you have to do is start the stop watch and your dishes start flying out of the kitchen to your table. I’ve never had a hunger satisfied quicker.
We love super spicy food and so this dish was definitely our favourite. We have noticed since returning that the Sydney Chinese joints don’t really have this dish as a menu item so ever since returning from Melbs, Scotty has been on a mission to perfect a quick and easy version of the dish – and he has pretty much nailed it with minimum fuss and mess.
WONTONS IN SPICY SAUCE
1 pkt frozen wontons (we used Pork and Crab filled)
100 – 150ml chicken stock
2 shallots, sliced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
Chilli oil to taste (1 tsp to 1 tbsp)
2cm piece Ginger, sliced to thin batons
Sesame seeds and coriander to serve
Bring a medium sized pot of water to the boil. Stirring the water with a spoon, drop in the frozen dumplings and boil till cooked (about 5 minutes).
While the wontons are cooking, mix chicken stock, shallots, sugar, fish sauce, chilli oil and ginger in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, then stir well and microwave for another 30 seconds.
Strain dumplings from the water, place in bowl and pour the sauce over then garnish with sesame seeds and coriander.
