Wontons Two Ways

By Dennis Linden

This month’s staff recipe submission comes from the video demo cutting board of Jacob Salazar, a member of Melissa’s marketing team who helps manage Melissa’s social media platforms. It was in this role that this recipe came about. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention!

Wontons are the Chinese version of the dumpling that can be traced to kitchens in the region dating to the early 1600s. What differentiates wontons from other dumplings is the thin wrap compared to other regions where dumplings are dense, much thicker flour wrap. These thin flour wrappings become slightly translucent after cooking and were initially stuffed mainly with prawn, pork, shallots and ginger. The wontons were served in a hot bowl of soup as a special occasion delicacy to the wealthy class. In Cantonese, “wonton” roughly translates to “clouds” because the wrappers look like clouds when floating in the soup.

As Chinese people immigrated to the U.S., the wonton wrapper spread in popularity, especially after WWII, thanks to the success of Chinese restaurants. Though, like most ethnic cuisines that land on our shores, that simple wonton wrapper is now stuffed with everything from apples to zucchini to goat cheese in order to appeal to this country’s palate and the tendency to take a good thing and make it…well, American-like because that’s the key to culinary success here (i.e., see Tex-Mex dishes or even sushi like the California roll)! 

Jacob’s wrappers contain some of the traditional ingredients without the soup, then add a burger element that makes these two-bite nuggets of deliciousness more acceptable to the U.S. palate. The soup is still there in spirit in one of the cooking options Jacob suggests: boiling the wontons like pasta until they rise to the top of the pot. He also suggests deep-frying. I used a third healthier option over deep oil frying, air-fry, which is the second way presented in this feature.

Jacob Salazar has been a member of Melissa’s marketing teams for just a few months and finds the industry and his role fascinating. The world of social media is the ficklest of all our platforms—what is popular today may be old news tomorrow. Jacob must stay posted and involved.

“I send email blasts to thousands of contacts in our email lists for various promotions and ongoing challenges. I also help with various marketing events and large production photo shoots. I am constantly amazed by Melissa’s team. Our team can come up with an idea and have our graphic designers turn the idea into point-of-sale material that is then printed here and in stores within a week. It’s amazing, and I am so honored to be a part of such a well-run machine.”

Away from the world of large and small screen promotions, Jacobs admits to two passions: fishing and golf. Then he quickly corrected himself, adding his girlfriend Alma (smart move, Jacob).

“I’ll do any type of fishing, and I’ve accumulated enough gear to feed a small village. Alma and my whole family, are all outdoor people. We go camping multiple times a year. June Lake and all along the coast of California in the winter are our favorites. Alma is my best friend and a huge supporter of everything I do in life; we are inseparable. Also, a little shout out to my fish that lives in my room in her own 55-gallon aquarium! Holly is a full-grown female Flower Horn in the cichlid family. I’ve had her for over 2 years; she’s like a daughter to me.” 

This blog always asks staff members to name a famous person they would invite to their own dinner table. Jacob’s answer reflected his other major interest.

“My passion for golf will always be there; now that I am good enough to get around and score on a few holes, I enjoy the game a lot more and enjoy visiting destination courses. So, I would invite Phil Mickelson. He is my favorite golfer. Like me, he’s a lefty and, in my opinion, the best golfer ever to exist. He has won the biggest tournaments under the biggest pressure. He’s extremely detail-oriented and takes every condition into consideration before every shot. I would love to sit down and discuss his accomplishments and pick his brain about the ins and outs of life and golf – over a plate of wontons and beer!”

Great recipe, Jacob; thank you. Just one more question: Does Holly know about your other fish interest, or do you sneak out of the house?

Wonton Wrappers

Makes about 20 wrappers

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef 
½ cup water chestnuts, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 pkg Melissa's Wonton Wrappers 
Water (for sealing each wonton)

Preparation

For the filling: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix thoroughly until well combined.

Wonton Assembly: Lay a wonton wrapper on a cutting board; spoon about 1 tablespoon of the beef mixture into the center of each wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with the water. Fold the wrapper over the filling to form a triangle, pressing the edges to seal tightly, ensuring no filling escapes. Now, bring the two opposite corners of the triangle together and pinch to form a typical wonton shape.

Cook whatever way you choose: (1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add wontons and cook for about 5 minutes until they float to the top and the filling is cooked through. (2) Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry wontons in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. (3) For a healthier technique, brush wontons with oil, then air fry until golden brown. 

Plating: Serve hot with a side of soy sauce for dipping.