Recipe: Make Brendan Pang’s Pork and Prawn Wontons in Advance for Quick Weeknight Comfort

Brendan Pang grew up making wontons with his grandmère. Little did she know those times would spark a career in which dumplings play a crucial role – across Pang’s outstanding Masterchef appearances, his beloved Fremantle airstream kitchen Bumplings, and a book about dumplings of every kind, from mandu to momos.

Here, the social media star and Gong Grocer ambassador shares his ultimate recipe for the northern Chinese dumpling. It’s one he’s “tweaked and perfected over time”, and pairs with a Sichuan chilli oil and vinegar dressing to add to your condiment repertoire.

“I love how the juicy pork and prawns work with the sharp black vinegar and chilli oil for that hit of balance and heat,” he tells Broadsheet. “You can also make them ahead and freeze them.”

If you’re making ahead, Pang recommends laying the wontons neatly in rows on a tray so they freeze individually. Once they’re solid, simply bag them up. “That way you can cook them straight from frozen whenever you need a quick, comforting meal.”

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Brendan Pang’s pork and prawn wontons

Serves: 36 

Preparation time: 40 minutes, or 1 hour if making wrappers 

Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

Wonton wrappers (if making)

2 cups plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg, whisked
80ml (1/3 cup) water

Sichuan chilli oil

2 cups peanut oil
1 cinnamon stick
5 star anise
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
2 tbsp Asian chilli flakes (crushed)
2 tbsp coarse gochugaru chilli flakes
Pinch of salt

Black vinegar and soy dressing

3 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1½ tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp spring onion, minced
Dash of sesame oil

Wonton filling

250g pork mince
250g banana prawn tails, chopped
1 tbsp spring onion (white part), minced
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of white pepper

Method

If making wrappers from scratch, combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the whisked egg and water, mixing until a dough forms. Knead the dough until smooth, then let it rest for 10 minutes. Roll the dough out thinly and cut into squares approximately 9cm x 9cm.

Meanwhile, make the chilli oil by adding peanut oil, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaves and Sichuan peppercorns to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Infuse for about 20 minutes, then increase the heat for the final 2 minutes. 

Place the chilli flakes, gochugaru and salt in a heatproof bowl. Strain the hot oil carefully over the chilli mixture (discarding the spices). Stir and let cool.

To make the dressing, whisk together the black vinegar, soy sauce, caster sugar, minced garlic, spring onion and sesame oil until the sugar has dissolved.

In a large bowl, combine the pork mince, chopped prawns, minced spring onion, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, ginger, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil and white pepper. Mix thoroughly until the mixture becomes sticky and well-combined.

Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the centre of a wrapper. Brush the edges lightly with water. Fold the wrapper over the filling to form a rectangle, pressing the edges to seal. Bring the two bottom corners together and pinch to seal them firmly. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil over high heat. Add the wontons and boil until cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Boil the wontons until they float so the wrappers stay silky. 

Remove with a slotted spoon. Serve immediately, drizzled generously with the Sichuan chilli oil and black vinegar dressing.