Gok and Kwoklyn Wan's king prawn wanton soup
We’re celebrating Chinese New Year - and Gok has swapped our catwalk for the kitchen to share a couple of family recipes. And speaking of family… he’s brought along his brother Kwoklyn who runs a local café in Leicester along for the ride.
The two tell us more about growing up in the Wan household and how they celebrate the biggest date in the Chinese calendar. Kwoklyn's dish is a king prawn wanton soup, and Gok's dish is perfect fried rice.
Serves: 2 people – 4 wontons each
Ingredients
For the broth
1 litre stock – chicken or vegetable½ thumb size piece of ginger slicedPinch white pepper¼ tsp salt½ tsp light soy sauceSesame oilChopped spring onionChinese leaf to place wantons on
For the wantons
190g raw king prawnsPinch saltPinch white pepper¼ tsp. Shaoxing wine¼ tsp. Light soy sauce1 Spring onion diced½ tsp. corn flour½ tsp. grated/crushed gingerDash of sesame oil8 wanton wrappers1 egg beaten
To serve
Chopped spring onionChinese Leaf to place wantons on
Method
Add all broth ingredients to a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer whilst you prepare the wontons.
Dry the raw king prawns on kitchen paper before placing in a blender; pulse until the prawns are chopped and sticky but not completely smooth
Tip the prawns in to a bowl and add all of the wanton ingredients and beat vigorously together, this changes the texture to be springy and firm
Bring a pan of water to the boil whilst you assemble the wontons
Lay a wonton wrapper in the palm of your hand with 1 corner pointing away from you and the opposite corner pointing towards you. Place 1 heaped tsp. of filling in to the centre of the wrapper, wet the two top edges with beaten egg, then lift the bottom edges to meet the top. Hold the top point between your thumb and forefinger and then close the sides of the wrapper whilst pressing any air out from around the filling. Lay the sealed Wonton on a board or plate and turning the filling away from you, using your finger to create a small crease in the filling, pull the outer points backwards and join them together with a dip of beaten egg to seal. This will then give the classic golden ingot shape.
Once all of the wontons have been prepared, lower them gently in to the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the prawns have turned pink
Lift the wontons out with a slotted spoon and place onto a piece of Chinese leaf in a serving bowl and add a small drizzle of sesame oil. Remove the sliced ginger from the broth and ladle generously over the wontons – sprinkle with chopped spring onions and serve.
Perfect fried rice
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Groundnut oil300g long-grain white rice, cooked and chilled properly in the fridge before using - use within one day. (Alternatively you can use microwave cooked rice)3 eggs2 spring onions, cut diagonally1 cup of frozen peas1 clove of garlic, gratedCan of anchovies in (non flavoured) oilSplash Light soySplash Dark soySplash Fish sauceSalt and white pepperSplash sesame oil
You can add any of the following:
Diced spamDiced carrotDiced water chestnutsDiced asparagusCooked shredded chicken thighCooked lobster tail
To serve: Chinese chilli oil
Method
Preparation time: 5 minutesCooking time: 10 minutes
Heat a wok until medium hot and add 1 tablespoon of oil to the hot wok and pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs, scraping the bits that are sticking to the wok. Aim for well-cooked scrambled egg that is separating into individual pieces.
Once cooked, add the rice, scraping the bottom of the pan and tossing the rice as you heat it through
Once the rice is hot, add the remaining ingredients. Continue to cook over a medium heat, tossing and mixing. Once the anchovies are beginning to melt into the hot rice, taste and season with pepper and a pinch of salt. Continue to stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more soy sauce if necessary.
Serve the fried rice with the cooked chicken and lobster tail, chilli oil and lettuce, wrapping spoonfuls of the rice inside the lettuce leaves to eat
Gok’s tip
Don’t use too much oil. This dish has been given a bad reputation over the years because of the word ‘fried’ in its title. But it’s not deep-fried like chips. You only use as much oil as you would need to stir-fry the healthiest vegetable dish. That’s it . . . so simple. Viva La Rice!