Prawn & Pork Wontons with Pickled Cucumber by Ross Pike Convene Hospitality
Prawn & Pork Wontons with Pickled Cucumber by Ross Pike Convene Hospitality
Founded in 1804, Mizkan’s origins were closely connected to sake production. The company developed vinegar from sake lees; a by-product of the sake brewing process, at a time when nigiri sushi was booming in Edo, modern-day Tokyo.
That heritage continued to underpin Mizkan’s focus on authentic Japanese ingredients and Japanese-inspired flavours. The company’s presentation highlighted its considerable presence in Japan, where it described itself as number one in both retail and foodservice.
Ingredients
Serves 5
Prawn & Pork Wontons
• 200g raw peeled prawns
• 200g pork mince
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 10g fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• 24 wonton wrappers
• 1 egg, beaten, for sealing
Pickled Cucumber
• 1 large cucumber
• 200ml Mizkan Pickling Liquid
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
To Finish
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• Coriander leaves
• Crispy chilli oil or chilli crisp
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Mizkan Yuzu & Green Chilli Sauce
• Lime wedges
Method
1. Slice the cucumber very thinly, ideally on a mandoline.
2. Add the cucumber and chilli to the Mizkan Pickling Liquid, leave to pickle for 30–45 minutes. Drain just before serving and toss with the sesame seeds and spring onion.
3. Finely chop about half of the prawns and leave the other half slightly chunkier. Mix with the pork mince, spring onion, garlic, ginger, soy, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, white pepper and sugar.
4. Mix thoroughly until the filling becomes slightly sticky, this helps give the wontons a good texture.
5. Place about 1 heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre of each wrapper.
6. Brush the edges with beaten egg, fold over and press firmly to seal, removing any air pockets. Bring the two corners together if you want the classic wonton shape.
7. Keep the finished wontons covered with a damp tea towel so they don’t dry out.
8. Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle boil.
9. Cook the wontons in batches for approximately 4–5 minutes, until the pork is completely cooked and the wontons float. You can also steam them for around 8–10 minutes.
10. To serve, plate this as a fairly refined starter: Pickled cucumber → 3 wontons → chilli oil → Mizkan Yuzu & Green Chilli Sauce → coriander → spring onion.
