Shrimp wontons with a pork-and-shrimp filling
This Cantonese-style wonton uses both pork and shrimp, rather than a shrimp-only paste. Chop the shrimp so the filling has texture, seal small portions in thin square wrappers, and cook the wontons separately from the serving broth. A clear broth and a delicate wrapper matter more than an oversized dumpling.
Filling and wrappers
Made With Lau’s filling batch uses 340 g pork shoulder, 113 g peeled shrimp, two scallions and about 397 g wonton wrappers. For the pork, use 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp salt, half a tsp white pepper, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp water and 1 tbsp sesame oil; its optional chicken bouillon is omitted here. Season the shrimp with 1 tsp cornstarch and a small pinch of white pepper.
Mix, chill and seal
Finely chop the pork and scallions; chop the shrimp into small pieces. Mix the pork seasoning into the meat, then incorporate the shrimp and scallions. Keep the filling refrigerated while working in small batches. Put a small spoonful in a wrapper, moisten the sealing edge and fold closed, pressing out air without squeezing filling into the seam.
Broth and boiling
For the broth base, the family’s wonton-noodle soup uses about 400 ml chicken broth with four US cups water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil and a quarter tsp white pepper. This soup-only adaptation omits noodles and the extra loose shrimp. Heat the broth and taste before adding all the salt; stock brands differ.
Boil wontons in a separate pot of water, in batches with room to move. Three to five minutes is an initial checkpoint, not a safety guarantee. Check a representative thick filling with a thermometer: ground pork must reach 71 C. Floating alone does not establish doneness. Lift cooked wontons into bowls and add hot broth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my wontons split?
Check for filling on the seam, dry wrapper edges and overfilling. Keep unused wrappers covered and make smaller portions before trying thicker wrappers.
Can I prepare them ahead?
Keep raw wontons refrigerated and separated on a tray. Do not leave a filled tray at room temperature while making the whole batch. Frozen wontons need extra cooking time and the same filling-temperature check.
At the table
This dish contains pork, shellfish, wheat and usually soy; check oyster sauce and wrapper labels. For other methods, see steamed chicken with mushrooms and cured-meat claypot rice.
Primary recipes: the Lau family’s wontons and their broth method. Safety: official minimum cooking temperatures and FDA handling guidance.