Fried Wontons

Directions

1. 1
   In a bowl, mix together the pork or shrimp, chives, ginger, egg, soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, pepper, and salt.
2. 2
   Place 1 scant tablespoon of the filling in the center of each wrapper.
3. 3
   Moisten the edges of the wrapper with a few drops of water (use a brush or your finger) and fold into a triangle or semicircle.
4. 4
   Press the edges together tightly to seal, making sure no air is trapped between the filling and wrapper.
5. 5
   Set aside on a floured plate or wax paper and repeat until all the filling is used.
6. 6
   Put about 2 inches of oil in a deep saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high; heat to about 250F on a deep-frying thermometer.
7. 7
   Working in batches and adjusting the heat as necessary, gently put as many of the wontons as will fit without crowding into the oil and cook, turning once, until golden brown, less than 10 minutes.
8. 8
   Drain on paper towels and serve with Soy Dipping Sauce (page 583).
9. 9
   For the pork and shrimp, substitute one 10-ounce package of spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped, 2 minced scallions, and 4 or 5 fresh (or reconstituted dried) shiitake (black) mushrooms.
10. 10
    In step 1, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
11. 11
    Fill and seal the wontons as directed.
12. 12
    Depending on the size of your pot, boil the wontons in one or two batches for about 10 minutes per batch.
13. 13
    Gently stir intermittently to prevent sticking.
14. 14
    Immediately transfer to bowls of good chicken stock (page 160) and garnish with chopped scallions.