Shiitake wontons in oxtail broth

Name: Shiitake wontons in oxtail broth
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 750g oxtail pieces, cut at joints; ½ cup vegetable oil, for frying; ½ small red onion, finely sliced; ½ small carrot, finely sliced; 60g kombu (edible kelp seaweed, also known as konbu); 15g bonito flakes; 2 spring onions, finely sliced into rounds mint leaves; chilli oil

Neil Perry

June 22, 2016

Impress with shiitake wontons in oxtail broth.William Meppem

Time:2 hours +Serves:4

A winter's day is perfect for making this wholesome wonton broth. You can make the broth using beef shin instead of oxtail, or lighten it up by using chicken wings – just reduce the roasting time. Add a dollop of sambal or XO sauce to spice it up.

Ingredients

750g oxtail pieces, cut at joints
½ cup vegetable oil, for frying
½ small red onion, finely sliced
½ small carrot, finely sliced
60g kombu (edible kelp seaweed, also known as konbu)
15g bonito flakes
2 spring onions, finely sliced into rounds mint leaves
chilli oil

For the wontons

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1cm piece ginger, finely diced
100g fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp Shaoxing wine
½ tsp castor sugar
3 tsp light soy sauce
50g tinned water chestnuts, chopped
20 wonton wrappers
paste (made from flour and water) to seal wontons

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Roast oxtail on a lined oven tray until golden brown, about 1½ hours, turning after about 45 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a small saucepan and deep-fry onion and carrot, stirring often until golden, about 6-8 minutes. Do not let vegetables get too dark or the stock will be bitter. Drain on paper towel.
3. Put kombu and 2 litres of water in a large pot and heat to make a stock. Just before boiling point, add ½ cup cold water and remove kombu.
4. Bring stock back to the boil on a low heat. When almost boiling, add bonito flakes, remove from heat and allow bonito to sink to the bottom of the stock. Strain through muslin.
5. Put roast oxtail, carrot and onion into a pot with stock and simmer for 4 hours. Remove oxtail, strain stock through muslin and set aside. Remove meat from bones and chop.
6. For the wontons, heat oil in a frying pan until hot. Fry garlic and ginger until fragrant, then add mushrooms and cook until they wilt. Add wine, sugar, and soy, then transfer to a bowl and mix in water chestnuts and oxtail meat. Check seasoning.
7. Put 1 tbsp of mixture in the centre of each wonton wrapper. Brush 2 edges of lightly with flour-and-water paste. Fold in half to enclose and seal edges.
8. Reheat broth and skim off impurities. Blanch wontons in gently boiling water and share among four large bowls. Pour over broth and garnish with spring onions, a few mint leaves and chilli oil to taste.