Friday 15 November 2013

Wanton Noodles (Wanton Mee)

So I decided to make wanton noodles after my exams because I was too bored and I wanted to cook.
I'm not 100% sure of the amount used because I kinda eyeballed everything. What I do remember is the ingredients that went into creating this awesome dish. And no, I don't usually praise my own cooking but the noodles were pretty darn good, even if I do say so myself. And no, it definitely wasn't because of my homesickness.
Anyway, here's the recipe I used in making the wanton noodles.
Wanton Noodles Recipe (Serves 5) 
Adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes
Wantons and soup:
250g minced pork
3-5 dried shitake mushrooms
100g shrimp, roughly chopped
3 tbsp chopped spring onion
1 packet wanton skins
Light soy sauce, to taste
White pepper, to taste
Corn flour
Water chestnuts, optional (I'm not too sure about the quantity needed because I couldn't find them at the grocers)
Chicken stock cubes
1 bunch of mustard greens (choy sum)
Chicken breast, to garnish (optional)
Mixing sauce and noodles (per serve):
1/2-1 tbsp thick soy sauce, depending on how dark you want your noodles to be
1/2-1 tbsp oyster sauce, depending on how salty you want it to be
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
Pepper, to taste
1 packet fresh egg noodles
Instructions:
1. Soak shitake mushrooms in water for about 30 minutes or until soft. Coarsely chop the mushrooms to about the size of the chopped shrimp.
2. To make the filling, combine minced pork, mushrooms, shrimp, and a dash of tapioca flour, depending on how sticky you want it. Then add in soy sauce and pepper to taste and finally, add in about 2 tablespoons of chopped spring onions. I only used the end bits, where they looked fresher. The mixture will end up looking something like this. Also, if you do end up using water chestnuts, this is a good time to add them in.
Image3. Before making your wantons, start steaming your chicken breast so that it is ready to garnish at the end. This step is optional.
4. Prepare a bowl of water to use as a sealant for your wanton pouches. Take your wanton skins and fill them with a spoonful of the filling. Then, dab some water around the borders of the wanton skin and fold them into little pouches or from end to end into little triangles. Be careful not to overfill the pouches, as they might burst when you boil them. They will end up looking something like this. I bought the wrong coloured wanton skins. Get the lighter-coloured ones if you can find them.
Image
5. Fill a large saucepan until it is about 3/4 of the way up and throw in some chicken stock cubes. 1 cube makes about 190ml worth of chicken stock, so add the cubes in accordingly. Bring the chicken stock to a boil and start cooking your wantons. Just put them into the boiling stock until they begin to float and leave them in the water for about a minute or so and they should be perfectly cooked. Alternatively, cook for four minutes. If you're not planning on serving them immediately, plunge the wantons into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Overcooking the wantons will result in them splitting open. Set aside and start preparing your noodles.
6. To cook the noodles, loosen them from the packet and put a serving at a time into a saucepan filled with boiling water. Cook for one minute. Immediately plunge the cooked noodles into a basin of cold water or let it go under running water to retain it's "springy" goodness.
7. To prepare the sauce, mix in the thick soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and pepper.
8. To serve, place the noodles on top of the mixing sauce. Then, drizzle on some of the chicken stock used for cooking the wantons. Cook the mustard greens until they float in the same chicken stock and place them at the side of the place. Next, place the wantons at the side and garnish the noodles with a few pieces of chicken breast shreds. If you like to add some heat, garnish with pickled jalapenôs at the side or in a saucer with some soy sauce.
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Voila! And there you have it, wanton noodles to remind you of home.

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