Shrimp and chicken wonton soup with bok choy

Ingredients

0 of 17 out on the counter

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 6 cups baby bok choy, sliced
• 24 wonton wrappers, 3½-inch square
• 5 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped small; buy a bag that lists only shrimp
• 3 oz raw boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped fine
• 6 fresh shiitake caps, stems removed, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup grated carrot
• 2 medium scallions, chopped, for the filling
• 2 tbsp chopped scallion, to finish
• 3 slices fresh ginger, to flavor the broth and lift out
• 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, for the filling
• ½ tsp toasted sesame oil, to finish
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, for the filling
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ground white pepper, half in the filling and half over the bowls
• 1 tbsp water, for sealing the wrappers

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Chop the shrimp into pieces about ¼ inch across and mince the chicken fine. In a bowl, stir them with the carrot, the 2 chopped scallions, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, the grated ginger, garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon of the white pepper. Stir one way for about a minute, until the mix turns sticky and holds together. Keep the bowl cold and fold within the hour; raw filling never sits out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 °F.
2. 2Set a wrapper like a diamond. Put about 12 g of filling in the middle (weigh the first one, then match it by eye). Wet two touching edges with a fingertip of water, fold the wrapper corner to corner into a triangle, and press out the air as you seal. Dab a little water on the two long corners, bring them together under the filling and press. Fold all 24 and keep them under a damp towel.
3. 3Put the broth, the ginger slices and the shiitake in a large pot. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Lift out the ginger slices with a spoon.
4. 4Slide the wontons into the simmering broth in two goes, stirring gently once so they do not stick. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, which tears the wrappers. At 5,430 ft water boils near 203 °F, so go by the signs, not the clock: about 5 to 6 minutes (our kitchen practice), until the wontons float, the wrappers turn see-through and the shrimp is pearly and opaque. Cut one open: the chicken must be white throughout and read 165 °F.
5. 5Add the bok choy and cook 2 minutes, until the stems are bright and just tender.
6. 6Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon of sesame oil and ¼ teaspoon of white pepper. Ladle into 4 bowls, 6 wontons each with about 1½ cups of broth and a share of the greens. Scatter the 2 tablespoons of scallion on top.
7. 7Cool leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours (1 hour above 90 °F), then refrigerate. Reheat the soup to a rolling boil. To freeze uncooked wontons, set them apart on a tray, freeze solid, then bag them; cook from frozen in the simmering broth, a minute or two longer, until they reach 165 °F.