Chicken Shredded in Rich Broth Wontons

Chicken Shredded in Rich Broth Wontons

　　Wontons are a traditional snack in Jinan with a long history. They can be prepared in various ways and are called by different names depending on their ingredients. Varieties include clear broth wontons, rich broth wontons, chicken shredded wontons, sesame paste wontons, and three-delicacy wontons. In the south, some serve cooked egg noodles in a soup bowl, top them with wontons, and garnish with a few vegetable shoots, calling it “wonton noodles.” Wontons are made all over the country, but those from Jinan are considered the best. In the old days, wontons were a staple of Jinan’s late-night snacks. In more recent times, many shops specialized in wontons, including the well-known Xingshengcheng Wonton Restaurant and Qinyun Wonton Restaurant. Around Chasi Street, there was also a famous eatery known for its fried wontons—fresh, uncooked wontons were deep-fried in hot oil until golden brown, resulting in a crispy exterior and tender interior with delicious flavor. Sesame paste wontons are made similarly to sesame paste rice noodles: cooked wontons are cooled or briefly blanched in cool water, then mixed with sesame paste and other seasonings. This was a popular seasonal dish in Jinan during the summer.

　　　　Nowadays, there are few restaurants that specialize in making wontons. The once-famous “Yifa Wonton Restaurant” went out of business years ago. While there are many individual wonton stalls, their flavors are generally not as good.

　　Ingredients: 1000g flour, 500g lean pork, 100g cooked chicken, 100g dry starch, 50g eggs, 50g seaweed, 50g coriander, 10g minced scallions, 50g soy sauce, 50g light soy sauce, 30g peanut oil, 10g salt, 20g sesame oil, 5g MSG, 10g minced ginger, 2000g chicken stock, 3000g pork knuckle stock.

　　Preparation Method: 1. Place the flour in a basin, add 380g of water, and mix into a dough. Transfer to a kneading board and knead until smooth. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a large sheet as thin as kraft paper. This must be done gradually in multiple steps, dusting with dry starch (mung bean starch is best) each time you roll it thinner—about five or six times. After rolling, cut the dough into trapezoidal pieces, 5cm wide at the top, 8cm wide at the bottom, and 8cm high.

　　2. Mince the pork, then mix in soy sauce, salt, minced scallions and ginger, peanut oil, and sesame oil. Stir clockwise to form the filling.

　　3. Wash the coriander, chop it finely, soak the seaweed and tear it into small pieces. Slice the cooked chicken and the prepared egg crepes into fine shreds for later use.

　　4. Bring water to a boil in a pot, add the wontons, and cook until they float to the surface. Boil for another 3 minutes, then remove and portion into 20 bowls. Garnish each with seaweed pieces, coriander, egg crepe shreds, and cooked chicken shreds. Drizzle with 1/20th of the light soy sauce, then pour the boiling chicken and pork knuckle stock over the wontons to serve.

　　Features: Clear and flavorful broth, juicy and tender filling, thin and smooth wrappers. Tastes even better when served with crispy baked pancakes or fried dough twists.