Sichuan Wontons in Chili Oil

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Silky boiled pork wontons pooled in a glossy, brick-red sauce built on chili oil you bloom yourself. The oil is poured over coarse Sichuan chili flakes in stages so it toasts without scorching, then cut with Chinkiang black vinegar, raw garlic, a little sugar and toasted sesame. Fifteen minutes of folding and you have the appetizer that restaurants charge $12 for, plus a jar of chili oil for everything else you cook this month.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup coarse Sichuan chili flakes (er jing tiao or Korean gochugaru)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup neutral oil, such as peanut or canola
• 3 star anise pods
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 4 thin slices fresh ginger

• 12 oz ground pork (not lean — 20% fat)
• 3 tbsp cold water or unsalted chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 2 scallions, very finely minced
• 40 square wonton wrappers (thin, Hong Kong style), plus extras

• 6 tbsp chili oil, with plenty of the sediment from the bottom
• 3 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, grated to a paste
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp ground roasted Sichuan peppercorn (optional)
• 3 tbsp hot wonton cooking water

• 2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

• 1 tbsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Make the chili oil first (it can be done days ahead). Combine the chili flakes, 1 tbsp sesame seeds and 1/2 tsp salt in a heatproof bowl or 2-cup glass measuring cup — the bowl should hold at least 3 cups so the oil doesn't foam over.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the 3/4 cup neutral oil, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns, scallion pieces and ginger slices. Set over medium-low heat and fry gently for 12–15 minutes, until the aromatics are deeply fragrant, the scallions are browned and shriveled, and the oil reads 275–300°F. Do not let the spices blacken; lower the heat if they sizzle hard.
3. Strain the oil into a clean heatproof cup and discard the solids. Let it cool to about 250°F (2–3 minutes, or until the shimmer calms). Pour one-third of the hot oil over the chili flakes and stir — it should foam and smell toasty, not acrid. Wait 30 seconds, then pour in the rest and stir well. Cool completely; the color deepens as it sits. Store in a jar at room temperature for up to a month.
4. Make the filling: put the ground pork in a bowl and add the water 1 tbsp at a time, stirring vigorously in one direction with chopsticks or a fork after each addition until fully absorbed and the meat looks pasty and tacky — about 2 minutes total. This is what keeps the wontons juicy.
5. Stir in the Shaoxing wine, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, grated ginger, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, white pepper and the minced scallions. Beat again for 30 seconds until springy. Chill 15 minutes while you set up.
6. Wrap the wontons: keep the stack of wrappers under a damp towel. Place a wrapper on your palm, add a scant 2 tsp of filling in the center, and dab water along two edges. Fold into a triangle and press out the air around the filling. Bring the two long corners together, overlap them, and pinch to seal — the classic Sichuan 'chao shou' fold. Set on a parchment-lined tray, not touching. Repeat with the rest of the filling (about 36–40 wontons).
7. Mix the sauce: in a small bowl whisk the 6 tbsp chili oil with sediment, black vinegar, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, grated garlic, 1 tsp sesame oil and the ground Sichuan peppercorn if using. Divide among four shallow serving bowls.
8. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tbsp salt. Add half the wontons, stir gently so they don't stick, and boil 4–5 minutes, until the wrappers are translucent and the wontons float and puff — cut one open to confirm the pork is cooked to 160°F if unsure. Scoop out with a spider or slotted spoon, letting them drain for a few seconds.
9. Before the second batch goes in, ladle 3 tbsp of the starchy cooking water into the sauce bowls and swirl — this loosens the sauce so it coats rather than sits in a slick. Cook the remaining wontons the same way.
10. Divide the hot wontons among the bowls, spoon the sauce up and over them, and top with peanuts, sliced scallions, cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve immediately, tossing gently at the table so every wonton picks up red oil.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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