WONDERFUL WON TON

I've always said that if there were one cuisine I'd rather not eat over here it would be Chinese. Doesn't sit well in the stomach. Too greasy, too heavy, too fried. The translucent slime that coats chicken and beef has always made me want to eat my chopsticks instead.

Last week, I had a change of heart. Staring ignorantly at a seven-column menu outside a heaving restaurant on Gerrard St, I was persuaded inside by my hungry other and a lovely, however persistent, front-of-house. He ordered the usual Chicken Cashew and Chow Mein; I ummed and ahhed and, being menu-struck, went for a simple Won Ton Soup and Bok Choi with Oyster Sauce.

The best Chinese I've ever had. Not greasy, not heavy, not fried. No shiny sheen.

So, I've stocked up on Won Ton wrappers and pork mince and made myself enough beautiful little pork dumplings to last a month.


And maybe one day I'll venture for something else on the menu. 可口. Delicious.

WON TON SOUP


ingredients
serves 4 (5 approx. dumplings each)
2oog pork mince
6 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
1tbsp rice wine
1tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp oyster sauce
25g bamboo shoots, finely chopped
20 won ton wrappers (available fresh from most oriental supermarkets)

1 ltr organic chicken stock
2 spring onions, sliced
2 large pak choi
tbsp soy sauce

Mix together the pork, spring onions, ginger, rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce and bamboo shoots in a large bowl. Leave to rest while you heat the chicken stock in a large pan.

Lay out the won ton pastry wrappers one by one, covering the rest with a damp cloth so the wrappers don't dry out. Place a teaspoonful of the pork into the centre of the wrapper. Fold in half, wetting the further edge with water to stick the pastry. Fold in the sides and press down with your fingers so the pork is held in its own pocket.

Bring the stock to the boil. Add the white stems of the pak choi and gently drop in the dumplings. Turn the stock to a simmer for about 5 minutes, adding the onions and green pak choi leaves at the last minute.

Serve into bowls, adding a splash of soy sauce. Eat with chop sticks and a spoon. Beware of dribbly nose and soupy chin, but otherwise slurp away. Freeze any excess dumplings for last minute dinner parties, man-flu, normal flu or desperate midnight feasts.