M(Y) SHANGHAI’S COLD WONTONS IN SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

Ingredients

SPICY ASIAN CHIVE WONTONS:
• 17.6 oz (500 grams) fatty ground pork, cold
• 1/2 cup (43 grams) finely chopped Asian chives (or use ramps)
• 1/2 cup (27 grams) freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
• 5 tbsp (80 grams) finely chopped pickled jalepeno + 1 tbsp its pickling juice
• 3 tbsp (15 grams) finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp potato starch, or cornstarch
• 32~35 white wonton wrappers
PEANUT SAUCE:
• 2 cups (250 grams) peanuts
• 1 grated garlic
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to adjust
• 3/4 cup (175 grams) 100% unsweetened apple juice, very cold
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) water, very cold
TO SERVE:
• Toasted sesame oil to coat
• Sichuan chili oil from this recipe(you can half the recipe for smaller batch)
• Good aged balsamic vinegar to drizzle
• Finely ground sichuan peppercorn
• Finely diced scallions

Instructions

1. TO MAKE THE SPICY ASIAN CHIVE WONTONS: Mix together cold fatty ground pork, chopped Asian chives (or you could use ramps), grated Parmigiano cheese, chopped pickled jalepeno and its pickling juice, finely chopped cilantro, grated ginger, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, ground white pepper and potato starch, until just evenly incorporated.
2. Place 1 tbsp of filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Dab water on the wrapper around the edge of the filling, then bring the wrapper together and pinch tightly to seal. I like to do this free-style, but you can make it however you like it. Be very careful not to tear the delicate wrapper during pinching. Set aside on a lightly floured tray, and repeat until all the fillings are used. You should have about 30~35 extra large wontons. Flash-freeze the wontons for 1 hour until hardened, then transfer to an air-tight bag and keep frozen until needed.
3. TO MAKE THE PEANUT SAUCE: Roast the peanuts in a preheated 350F/180C oven, for 20 min until lightly browned, then set aside to cool. Transfer the peanuts to a food-processor or blender, along with garlic, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and salt. Run continuously to turn the peanuts as paste-like as you can, approx 1:30~2 min (it should start to clump-up and stick to the side of the bowl). Now start adding cold apple juice, 2 tbsp at a time, and run the machine for 15 seconds for each addition. Then add the cold water, following the same rule, until the sauce reaches a creamy and loose bechamel consistency. (Adding the liquid all at once will result in a less creamy/chunkier texture). Adjust with a couple extra tbsp of cold water and re-season with salt if needed. Keep chilled until needed.
4. TO SERVE: Bring a large pot of water to boil, then cook the wontons until they have floated to the surface, then another min after that. Drain and shock the wontons in iced water until completely cooled, then drain well again and coat thinly in a little toasted sesame oil. Place over a good puddle of peanut sauce. Douse it generously with Sichuan chili oil, a little drizzle of good balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with finely ground sichuan peppercorn and scallions.

Notes