I Wonton Some Soup Please!

I've been dreaming of wonton soup for weeks now. Not just craving, or wanting or wishing for, it is literally haunting my dreams. So when a cool Sunday night provided the perfect opportunity, I seized it and made some velvety wontons bathed in rich buttery broth. I don't have much to say about this dish, except that it is the most perfect wonton soup I've ever had. You must try this as the seasons change and the air gets cooler!

Shitake & White Corn Wonton Soup


Wontons
Makes about 3 dozen wontons.

3/4 pound ground pork
1/2 cup minced shitake mushrooms
2 Tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha
1 small scallion, sliced thin
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper

36 - 40 square wonton wrappers
water

Combine all ingredients for wonton filling in a small bowl and use your hands to mix it well. In each wonton wrapper, place a generous tsp of filling in the center. Dip your finger in water and use it to moisten the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally over the filling, forming a triangle. Press edges together, then fold two side flaps down and seal with water. Repeat until all the filling has been used.


Wonton Soup

1 tsp unsalted butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced shitake mushrooms
1 cob of white sweet corn, kernals removed (cob reserved)
1/2 cup cream sherry
2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
2 cups water
1 porcini bouillon (see pantry essentials sidebar for sources)
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp lemongrass paste
2 tsp salt
wontons and additional wonton wrappers, torn into strips
2 large scallions, sliced diagonally
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

In a stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the butter with olive oil. Saute the mushrooms and corn kernals until slightly softened and mushrooms have absorbed most of the fats. Add sherry to deglaze, then broths, water, boullion, mirin and corn cob. Bring to a boil. Add ginger, lemongrass, salt, wontons and extra wrappers and boil until all wontons have risen to the top and wrappers are translucent. Turn off the heat, remove corn cob and add scallions, spinach, and sesame oil. Serve immediately with large spoons.