My first tip would be to check the best before date on your wonton skins! I bought mine about a week before I used them, and when I first went to use them realised they had expired a two weeks prior. I hate that! Couldn’t be bothered going to the supermarket then and there, and it was only $1.79, but it’s the principle! Anyway, I was at another supermarket, picked some more up and then made the wontons the following day. You can find the wonton skins at most supermarkets in the refrigerated section, and they are in small square blocks.
Luckily, I hadn’t thrown out the original pack. Even though I looked on the second pack, I couldn’t see how many skins were in the pack, and I guessed that one pack would be enough. WRONG!! So make sure you’re going to have enough. I ended up channelling my inner mother and used the pack that had past its best before date. (Can you hear my justifying it? It’s best before, not use by! They’re being cooked, steamed at over 100 degrees, surely that would kill any nasties??) Anyway, I used some of the expired ones, and I’m still here to tell the tale.
I used chicken thigh rather than chicken breast for the filling. I think chicken thigh is a bit tastier than breast, and as long as you make sure all the sinewy bits are removed, it is fine – and cheaper. Freezing it for 20 minutes before mincing it in the thermomix makes the mincing easier – well, even easier that it usually is in the thermomix.
I didn’t put chilli powder in this time, but next time I will. I think I’ll also measure the salt (5 grams) more carefully as I sort of guestimated it, and it needed a little more to my taste. That said, I did put some soy sauce with them when I served them up, and that helped no end. The 10 grams of coriander leaves is nearly a while bunch worth (or at least it is where I shop – I really need to get my herb garden going again – I begrudge every cent I spend on herbs that you can grow at home).
For easier measuring of small quantities, put the basket in the thermomix and set it to scales, then add the leaves in handfuls rather than small amount by small amount. Don’t forget to look at my previous tips about what to do with your left over egg yolks if you’re freezing them. My wonton wrapping skills definitely need work. The wonton skins themselves are pretty good to work with, although sometimes they can be hard to peel off the block. I used my fingernails to try and ease up a corner, and then lifted of the sheet. Each wonton sheet is about 10 cm square, and a teaspoon of the chicken mixture is adequate.
I’m going to have to find someone to tutor me in the finer art of wonton wrapping, mine all stayed together but didn’t look as pretty as they could have. It’s definitely an art to be able to wrap them prettily. I made the mixture and wrapped the wontons several hours before steaming them. To stop the wonton skins drying out and buckling, and being super paranoid about chicken, I put them on silicone paper and covered them with a clean, damp tea towel and put them in the fridge. It kept them nice and moist until it was time to steam them, and I don’t think it did them any harm.
When you’re steaming, make sure you grease the varoma trays first. I didn’t use vegetable oil as suggested, but gave both layers of the varoma a spray with canola oil, which did the trick. I used both levels of the varoma tray to fit all the wontons in. Be careful in placing the wontons, especially on the lower tray, and make sure you don’t over fill it, or cover all the holes. You need the steam to get through! I put about 10 on the bottom tray, mostly around the edges to make sure the steam could get through to the top.
I’ll definitely make these again, especially once someone shares an amazing consommé recipe with me…
In the Mix Tricks 