The Wonder of Wontons

It was my second Rosh Hashanah as a married woman, and I decided that I actually wanted to cook something. If you know my history as Queen of Take-Out, you understand the magnitude of such a decision. At that stage, I was beginning to fill the cooking void in my soul, and I wanted to try something fancy. I made wontons filled with ground meat and dropped them into my chicken soup. So beyond the traditional matzo ball, I thought happily. And I had a good measure of beginner’s luck too, because it actually worked. everyone oohed and ahhed as though I had produced something truly exotic.

Vegetarian Wonton Soup

Well, as life moved on, my head got filled with so many other things and I forgot all about that little success. This memory just slipped my mind until now. Now that I am more experienced, I realize how many things could have gone wrong.

Chocolate Raspberry Wonton

Anyone who has tried to fill a wonton knows that the trick is keeping it from bursting open. The last thing you want is that filling spilling out. I’ve progressed so much since my newlywed days, and thanks to the new Gefen wontons, that come in both square and round shapes I’ve had about as much fun as a person should experimenting with every technique for keeping that filling in place. Oh the wonder of it all!

Three Cheese Wonton Ravioli

So here’s my most important wonton tip: an egg wash really works best to seal the wontons. When you use the egg wash, don’t completely soak the wonton; just a light brushing will do the trick. Also, press the air out around the filling so there’s no extra space between the filling and wonton. Press very firmly (using a fork also works well). My recipe testers and I used all of these tricks just recently on a new Potato Cheddar Pierogi recipe and not a single one leaked! What simchah!

Potato Cheddar Pierogi

Here are 5 rad wonton recipes I know you will enjoy. Vegetable Wonton Soup is so light and pretty and my 3-Cheese Wonton Ravioli recipe is just the smartest shortcut to “homemade” ravioli. Another cheesy dish – Potato Cheddar Pierogis – is oh so formal and impressive. A cool idea for parties (or anytime!) are Wonton Chips paired with an Edamame Dip. And for a sweet little dessert, try my recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Wontons – absolute heaven!