Chinese Hug in a Bowl

Winter blues got you down? Nothing like a steaming bowl of homemade wontons to ease the soul. Wonton soup is very popular restaurant fare but almost always made badly. Outside the home, you'll likely get (1) too few wontons, (2) wontons of insufficient meaty bulk, (3) deadened artificial-looking broth and (4) my worst nightmare - flappy wonton skins. The home version is a subtler, more delicate affair. After all, wonton soup should be a restorative experience, not a slap in the face.














WON TON BROTH
½ t dried shrimp
1 can chicken broth
leaves of nappa cabbage, cut lengthwise
1 stem of pickled mustard green, chopped
1/8 t dashi
3-4 slices of ginger
soy sauce to taste
salt
splashes of rice wine
3 T scallions (chopped)
1. Saute ½ t dried shrimp until aromatic. Add chicken broth, dashi, pickled mustard and enough water to fill pot halfway. Add salt and soy sauce. Bring to boil.
2. Add wontons. Bring back to boil once. Add ¼ c cold water. Bring back to boil again.
3. Add scallions. Serve hot, immediately.