Name: Wonton soup with Sichuan red oil and black vinegar chilli sauce
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 150 gm coarsely minced pork; 100 gm uncooked prawns, peeled, cleaned, finely chopped; 4 shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped; 2 spring onions (white part only), finely chopped; 15 gm ginger, finely grated, plus 2 tbsp julienned; 1 tsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 2 tsp cornflour; 32 wonton wrappers; 1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock; 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce; 1 tsp sesame oil; 300 gm (1½ bunches) Chinese broccoli, trimmed; Sichuan red oil; 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil; 10 gm Sichuan peppercorns; 15 gm ginger, thinly sliced; 2 dried long red chillies; 1 garlic clove, bruised; 1 spring onion, trimmed, split lengthways; 1 star anise; 1 each green and black cardamom pod, split; ½ piece cassia bark; ½ tbsp coriander seeds; 1 tbsp dried chilli flakes; ½ tbsp ground chilli, or to taste; Black vinegar chilli sauce; 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar; 2 tbsp soy sauce

Wonton soup with Sichuan red oil and black vinegar chilli sauce

Australian Gourmet traveller recipe for wonton soup with Sichuan red oil and black vinegar chilli sauce.

Serves 6

Prep

1H 30M

Cook

1H 10M

Total

2H 40M

This wonderful soup has light clean flavours delivered with a punch from the Sichuan red chilli oil, hong you. It may seem like a lot of chilli oil, but once you’ve tried it you’ll be serving it with everything. Begin this recipe a day ahead to infuse the oil.

Ingredients

150 gm coarsely minced pork

100 gm uncooked prawns, peeled, cleaned, finely chopped

4 shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped

2 spring onions (white part only), finely chopped

15 gm ginger, finely grated, plus 2 tbsp julienned

1 tsp Shaoxing wine

1 tsp sesame oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tsp cornflour

32 wonton wrappers

1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock

60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

300 gm (1½ bunches) Chinese broccoli, trimmed

Sichuan red oil

250 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil

10 gm Sichuan peppercorns

15 gm ginger, thinly sliced

2 dried long red chillies

1 garlic clove, bruised

1 spring onion, trimmed, split lengthways

1 star anise

1 each green and black cardamom pod, split

½ piece cassia bark

½ tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp dried chilli flakes

½ tbsp ground chilli, or to taste

Black vinegar chilli sauce

2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp finely grated ginger

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp caster sugar

1 garlic clove, finely grated

Method

Main

1.For Sichuan red oil, combine oil and Sichuan peppercorns and stand at room temperature to infuse (8 hours or overnight). Combine infused oil and peppercorns with ginger, chillies, garlic, spring onion, star anise, cardamom, cassia and coriander seeds in a saucepan and place over low heat to infuse (1 hour; don’t let the oil get too hot), then set aside to cool. Place chilli flakes in a jar or bowl, carefully strain oil over, through a fine sieve (discard spices), season with 1 tsp sea salt flakes and set aside to infuse (at least 4 hours). Makes about 300ml. Sichuan red oil will keep refrigerated for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

2.For black vinegar chilli sauce, combine 2-3 tbsp Sichuan red oil with vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, sugar and garlic in a bowl, and set aside until required.

3.Mix pork, prawn, shiitake, spring onion, grated ginger, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, egg and cornflour in a bowl to combine well and season to taste. Working with a few wonton wrappers at a time, keeping remaining covered with a teal towel, place ½ tablespoonfuls of mixture in the centre of each wrapper, brush edges lightly with water then fold to form a triangle, press edges to seal, pushing out any air. Bring 2 corners of the longest edge together, squeeze to seal, then place on a tray lined with baking paper, cover with a tea towel and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

4.Bring stock, soy sauce, julienned ginger and sesame oil to the simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat and season to taste.

5.Cook Chinese broccoli in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender and bright green (2-3 minutes), then drain.

6.Cook wontons in a saucepan of simmering water in batches until they float and are cooked through (2-3 minutes). Divide among serving bowls with Chinese broccoli and hot broth, spoon Sichuan red oil over and serve hot with black vinegar chilli sauce.