Literally translated, wonton means ‘swallowing a cloud’. Every province in China boasts their own version of wontons, all of them with different fillings – from prawn or pork to cabbage or pak choi – and their own trademark pleating technique.

Throughout China, food is used to heal the body and this is THE ultimate get-well-soon soup, especially if you have a sore throat. Why? Well, the dumplings are boiled so they are easy to swallow and the clear broth warms the organs and comforts the soul. Try it next time you don’t feel well.

Ingredients and preparation 

For the wonton pastry

200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

5 eggs (1 whole egg and 4 egg yolks)

25ml water

1 teaspoon salt

For the filling

100g minced pork

100g raw, peeled king prawns, deveined and coarsely chopped into small pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon potato starch

25ml water

For the soup

600ml chicken stock

50g Chinese leaf, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 drop of dark soy sauce

1 drop of sesame oil

1 teaspoon finely sliced spring onions

Method

To make the wonton pastry, put all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz to a firm dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out as thinly as possible, approx. 1mm thick. Using a glass tumbler or cup (approx. 5cm in diameter), cut out roughly 14 circle and dust lightly with flour. Cover with a damp cloth or clingfilm until ready to use.

To make the filling, combine the minced pork and prawns in a bowl and season with salt, sugar and sesame oil. Add the potato starch and water and mix thoroughly with your hands to form a sticky paste. (Don’t be tempted to use a food processor for this as you want to retain some texture.)

To assemble the wontons, put 1 teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each wonton skin. Using your index finger, dampen one corner of the pastry and fold over to form a triangular half-moon shape. Crimp the edges by squeezing them together with your forefinger and thumb to form a wavy pattern.

To cook the wontons, bring a pan of water to the boil, drop in the wontons and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside to rest in a soup bowl.

To make the soup, bring the Chicken stock to the boil, add the Chinese leaf, salt, sugar, white pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil and simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the spring onions.

To serve, pour the soup over the wontons and slurp away, filling your tummy with goodness.

Option: Use gluten-free flour rather than plain flour. Replace the dark soy sauce with tamari or omit altogether.

Serves 2

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking time 15 minutes

This recipe was supplied by the Tse Sisters from the renowned Sweet Mandarin restaurant in Manchester. You can check out more delicious recipes from their cookbook.