Name: Kylie Kwong’s Cantonese-style prawn wonton soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 130 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1½ tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp julienne ginger; 1 tsp white sugar; ½ tsp sesame oil; 2 bok choy, trimmed, cut crossways into 4; Thinly sliced spring onion, to serve; Chinese chicken stock; 1.5 kg chicken carcasses, wings and bones; 7 spring onions, trimmed, halved crossways; 6 thick slices ginger; 6 garlic cloves, bruised; ½ Spanish onion, coarsely chopped; Prawn wontons; 300 gm uncooked prawns, peeled, cut into rough 1.5cm dice; 1 tbsp coarsely chopped coriander; 1 tbsp thinly sliced spring onion; 1½ tsp finely diced ginger; 1 tsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tsp light soy sauce; ¼ tsp white sugar; ¼ tsp sesame oil; 16 square wonton wrappers

Kylie Kwong’s Cantonese-style prawn wonton soup

"The success of this classic soup, the ultimate comfort food, lies in using the freshest ingredients," says Kylie Kwong.

Serves 4

Prep

30M

Cook

2H 10M

Total

2H 40M

“The success of this classic soup, the ultimate comfort food, lies in using the freshest ingredients,” says Kylie Kwong. “The quality of the stock is paramount, so I use the best chicken bones and carcasses, and I always use Australian prawns and fresh wonton skins.”

Ingredients

1½ tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp julienne ginger

1 tsp white sugar

½ tsp sesame oil

2 bok choy, trimmed, cut crossways into 4

Thinly sliced spring onion, to serve

Chinese chicken stock

1.5 kg chicken carcasses, wings and bones

7 spring onions, trimmed, halved crossways

6 thick slices ginger

6 garlic cloves, bruised

½ Spanish onion, coarsely chopped

Prawn wontons

300 gm uncooked prawns, peeled, cut into rough 1.5cm dice

1 tbsp coarsely chopped coriander

1 tbsp thinly sliced spring onion

1½ tsp finely diced ginger

1 tsp Shaoxing wine

1 tsp light soy sauce

¼ tsp white sugar

¼ tsp sesame oil

16 square wonton wrappers

Method

Main

1.For stock, place all ingredients in a stockpot with 3 litres cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, skimming off any scum from the surface with a ladle. Reduce heat until surface of stock is barely moving and cook, skimming occasionally, for 1¾-2 hours. Discard chicken bones, then strain stock through a sieve lined with muslin. Cool, then refrigerate until needed. Makes about 2.5 litres. Stock will keep refrigerated for a week, or frozen for 3 months.

2.For wontons, combine all ingredients except wrappers in a bowl, cover and chill for 30 minutes to marinate. Working with a few wrappers at a time, keeping remaining covered with a tea towel, place heaped teaspoonfuls of prawn mixture in the centre of each, dampen edges with a little water, then fold over to form a rectangle and press edges to push out any air and seal. Lightly dampen one corner with water, then bring the two ends together with a twisting action, pressing lightly to join. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and cover while you make remaining wontons.

3.Bring 1.5 litres stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Add soy, ginger, sugar and sesame oil, reduce to a simmer. Add wontons and simmer for 2 minutes, then add bok choy and simmer until bright green and wontons are cooked through (1-2 minutes – to test, cut through a wonton with a sharp knife).

4.Divide soup, wontons and bok choy among bowls, scatter with spring onion and serve hot.

Kylie Kwong

Styling by Emma Knowles

Styling by Lucy Tweed