Wontons in chilli oil sauce

Method

1. Prepare the filling. Crush the ginger with the flat side of a cleaver or a heavy object and leave it to soak for a few minutes in the cold water, then discard.

2. Place the minced pork in a bowl and add the beaten egg, Chinese rice wine, ginger-soaking water, sesame oil, salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix well, stirring briskly in one direction, then add the cold stock in several stages.

3. Wrap 1-2 teaspoons of stuffing in each wonton wrapper. The simplest method is to put the stuffing in the centre of each wrapper and simply fold in half diagonally, pressing the edges together. Lay the wrapped wontons on a lightly-floured tray.

4. To make the sauce, place the chilli oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, stock, garlic and sesame oil in each serving bowl. Bring a large panful of water to the boil over a high flame. When the water is boiling vigorously, you can cook the dumplings; they are best cooked in batches of 10-12.

5. To cook, tip the wontons into the water, and return to the boil. Add one coffee-cupful of cold water, and return to the boil. Repeat once more, by which time the dumplings should be cooked through - you can test one to make sure.

6. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, place in one of the prepared bowls, and serve. Let your guests mix the wontons into the sauce at the table. As you cook the other batches, top up the seasonings in the bowls as necessary.