For the majority of my teenage years, I remember my folks would order Chinese food from a place called Silver Palace close to home. Every Saturday night, my mom would pick up the phone and place the order. The owner already knew my moms voice, and would automatically just call out the order. He knew it by memory! It was a day off from the kitchen for her after making Cuban food all week. It was a treat. My dad was obsessed with their special wonton soup, and honestly I couldn’t blame him. It was amazing every time. I think they may still be open to this day. Family owned businesses are the best.

As part of the order, we would get a little waxy bag of fried wontons as well. These crispy, crunchy little pockets were filled with pork and scallions, not to be confused with the crab rangoon. Those are filled with cream cheese and crab which are also delicious. I loved the pork ones the most. They came with a sweet and sour sauce. I would devour them, even before sitting down at the table. Sometimes I couldn’t even wait for the sauce!

This next recipe is my version of pork wonton. Though a bit time consuming, it is simple recipe to put together and fry–and if you can contain yourself, serve them. 🙂 Let’s eat.

Here is the recipe:

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time 15-20 minutes

Servings: Varies

Ingredients:

• ½ Lb ground pork ( I used 80/20)
• 2 stalks of green scallion, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
• ½ tsp salt   
• ½ tsp black ground pepper (I didn’t have white pepper, which some use)
• A handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
• 1 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp of oyster sauce
• 3 Tbsp of soy sauce
• A pinch of black sesame seeds or white toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix the ground pork, green scallions, salt, pepper, cilantro, sesame oil, and oyster sauce.
2. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, combine all the ingredients together.
3. Now add the sesame seeds and lightly combine. Set the mixture aside.
4. On a clean surface, separate the wonton wrappers and place them in grid formation. It is easier to work them this way, but you can use the palm of your hand to hold one at a time.
5. Spoon in a little less than a teaspoon of the pork mixture to the center of each wonton wrapper. Careful not to overfill, or your wontons may break open in the fryer.
6. Grab a small bowl with lukewarm water to seal the wonton edges.
7. Brush the edges of the wrappers with the water, one at a time. You can use a small brush or the tip of your pointer finger.
8. Fold the corner of the wrapper over the filling as to form a triangle.
9. Press the edges together to seal.
10. Now bring the corners together overlapping them. Brush with water and press to seal them.
11. Place the wontons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

To fry the wontons:

1. Grab a large Dutch oven, deep fryer, or deep enough frying pan and add oil. I used canola oil. Heat the oil to about 365°F. I used a candy thermometer to check the temperature.
2. Fry the wontons in small batches until they are golden brown. They will fry quickly so keep an eye on them. Remove them with a spider strainer or slotted spoon.
3. Place the finished wontons back on the the lined baking sheet or paper towel to drain any excess oil.
4. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces. I used a peanut sauce and a sesame garlic sauce. Enjoy!