Though not traditional, fried wontons are extremely popular. They are an easy finger food for parties and a snack that your kids will love. If you’re making the wrappers, try to get 60 out of the dough, or you may have a little filling left over.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 60, enough for 12

　　1 pound ground pork or peeled shrimp, minced, or a combination

　　2 cups chopped fresh chives (if you can find Chinese, or garlic, chives, so much the better)

　　1 tablespoon peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger

　　1 egg, lightly beaten

　　1 tablespoon soy sauce

　　2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

　　2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

　　2 teaspoons black pepper

　　Large pinch of salt

　　1 recipe Dumpling Wrappers (page 62) or about 60 store-bought wrappers

　　Peanut or neutral oil like corn or grapeseed, as needed

　　

Step 1

In a bowl, mix together the pork or shrimp, chives, ginger, egg, soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, pepper, and salt.

　　

Step 2

Place 1 scant tablespoon of the filling in the center of each wrapper. 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. Press the edges together tightly to seal, making sure no air is trapped between the filling and wrapper. Set aside on a floured plate or wax paper and repeat until all the filling is used.

　　

Step 3

Put about 2 inches of oil in a deep saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high; heat to about 250°F on a deep-frying thermometer. 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.

　　

Step 4

Drain on paper towels and serve with Soy Dipping Sauce (page 583).

　　

Vegetable Wontons

Step 5

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.

　　

Wonton Soup

Step 6

In step 1, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill and seal the wontons as directed. Depending on the size of your pot, boil the wontons in one or two batches for about 10 minutes per batch. Gently stir intermittently to prevent sticking. Immediately transfer to bowls of good chicken stock (page 160) and garnish with chopped scallions.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.