This recipe consists of two parts. The first part is making the Sichuan chili oil. Because it is best to leave it to steep for at least three hours, the total cooking time of over four hours indicated in the recipe might seem overly long. But that’s just because the Sichuan chili oil is sitting on the counter.
To make the Sichuan chili oil, you’ll need to cook ginger, onion, star anise, bay leaves, cumin and garlic in oil over low heat. The goal here is to extract the flavors of the spices and get them transferred into the oil.
While the oil is squeezing out the flavors of the spices, mix five-spice powder, chili flakes and sesame seeds in a heat-proof bowl. I cannot over-emphasize the heat-proof part here. You’re going to pour hot oil into that bowl so it better be strong enough to handle the intense heat. A bowl that can go into the oven would be perfect.
After pouring the strained oil into the bowl, discard the browned spices because all their flavors are already in the oil.
Note that the Sichuan chili oil is just the base for the sauce. You will need to mix that with soy sauce, sesame seed oil, rice wine, rice vinegar, grated garlic, grated ginger and sugar later.
After you’ve made your chili oil sauce, the red oil will float on top of the soy sauce mixture. Don’t worry about that. Just remember to stir the sauce every time you scoop some to drizzle over the wontons when you serve them.
While the Sichuan chili oil is left to “bloom” on the kitchen counter, mix together all the ingredients for the wonton filling. A teaspoonful of the filling goes on the center of a wonton skin.
How many wontons you will be able to make depends on the size of the skin. Whether you use small or large skins, remember not to overstuff them because the wontons require a short cooking time.
How long the wontons need to cook in broth depends on how small or large they are. Five minutes are enough if they are small. If large, it may take up to ten minutes. Just don’t overcook them. If the wontons soak for too long in the broth, the skins will turn soggy. The edges will look frayed and, worse, the skin might burst and expose the filling.
Ingredients
Sichuan chili oil
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 3 slices ginger
- 1 red onion halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic lightly pounded
- 1 ¼ cups cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons dried chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Pork and shrimp wonton filling
- 200 grams ground pork with at least 20% fat
- 100 grams shrimps peeled, deveined and finely minced
- 2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
- ¼ cup finely chopped carrot
- ½ teaspoon grated garlic
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 shiitake (caps only), finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame seed oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Chili oil sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
- 2 tablespoons rice wine
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon grated garlic
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon sugar
To make and cook the wontons
- 1 pack wonton skins round or square
- 4 to 6 cups bone broth
Instructions
Make the Sichuan chili oil
- Arrange the ginger, onion, star anise, bay leaves, cumin and garlic on the bottom of a thick frying pan so that they are in a single layer.
- Pour in the cooking oil.
- Over very low heat, cook the spices until softened and lightly browned. Be extra careful not to burn them.
- While the spices cook, whisk together the chili flakes, five-spice powder and sesame seeds in large HEAT-PROOF bowl.
- When the spices are nicely browned, strain the oil directly into the chili flakes mixture. Stir.
- Cover the Sichuan chili oil loosely and leave to steep for at least three hours.
Mix the wonton filling
- In a bowl, mix together the ground pork, shrimps, carrot, scallions, shiitake, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper.
- In another bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, sesame seed oil, sugar and cornstarch to make a thin paste.
- Pour the starch mixture over the ground pork mixture. Mix well.
- Cover the bowl and allow to marinate in the fridge while the chili oil cools.
Make the chili oil sauce
- In a large glass measuring cup, mix together all the ingredients for the chili oil sauce until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Note how much sauce you have and pour in an equal amount of chili oil. Whisk.
Make and cook the wontons
- Separate the wonton skins.
- Place a wonton skin on your palm and place a teaspoonful of filling at the center (less if your wonton skin is small).
- Dab the edges of the wonton skin with water.
- Fold in the edges of the wonton skin and press to seal.
- Repeat until all the filling has been used or until you run of of wonton skins, whichever happens first.
- Heat the bone broth in a pan and bring to simmering.
- Drop in the wontons in batches and cook for five to 10 minutes, depending on their size.
Serve the wontons
- Arrange wontons on a plate or shallow bowl.
- Drizzle chili oil sauce generously over them.
- Sprinkle with finely sliced scallions, optionally, before serving.
