All Din Tai Fung fans know how good their Spicy Wontons are.
Wontons served in a spicy, savoury, homemade chilli sauce.
Serve withfried riceandGinger Bok Choyto create your own little restaurant experience.
Chinese chicken stock powder. I prefer this over Western brands – cleaner, less artificial flavour.
Din Tai Fungs famous Spicy Wontons!
I love those bite size dumplings with irresistible slippery flappy bits.
I love them insoup form.
One of my ultimate 10 minutes convenience meals.
But my favourite way is with a spicy chilli oil sauce.
Any other Din Tai Fung devotees reading this who can vouch for how good they are??
Team RecipeTin is mighty proud that we cracked the code!
I wont say ours is a dead ringer but its very, very close.
What you better make the chilli sauce
Chinese chicken stock powder The secret ingredient!
Its the tastier salt.
Its got a cleaner, less artificial flavour than Western chickens stock powders.
Chilli oil Any Chinese brand red chilli oil (check the label).
Obviously no longer spicy, but a lovely sesame-forward flavour!
I use pre-ground for convenience here because its a small amount, just 1/4 teaspoon.
Kudos to anyone who makes their own: toast, grind, sift, measure!
Chinese Five Spice Powder Blend of (you guessed it!)
five spices that is sold at regular grocery stores, in the dried spices aisle.
Omit, or stir in at the end bit by bit, for less spicy.
Chinese chicken stock powder. I prefer this over Western brands – cleaner, less artificial flavour.
Soy sauce Use either light or all purpose soy sauce.
But not dark soy sauce flavour is too strong and the colour is too intense!
More on which soy sauce to use whenhere.
Homemade wontons– I always have a stash in the freezer!
Garlic Fresh (dont talk to me about jarred!
), finely minced with a knife or use a garlic crusher.
Rice vinegar For a touch of tang, to balance out the other flavours.
Substitute with any clear vinegar, or Chinese black vinegar.
Sugar Just a small touch to mimic the flavour of the Din Tai Fung chilli sauce.
The wontons
you might use any wontons you want, homemade or store bought!
Though theres a hierarchy, unsurpsingly.
Homemade wontonstrumps Asian store frozen wontons trump regular grocery store wontons.
There is no shame in buying wontons.Frozen are pretty good these days!
The classic is pork and prawns/shrimp (this is the filling in mywontons recipe).
But feel free to use any bang out of wonton.
How to make Din Tai Fungs Spicy Wontons
Ready to see how easy it is to make?
Heat oils Heat the chilli oil and vegetable oil in a small pan until hot.
Sizzle!Pour the hot oil over the garlic etc.
But dont worry, its not scary, it doesnt spit.
Then give it a quick mix.
Too intense to slop up spoonfuls with the wontons!
Just set aside until ready to use.
Prevent screen from sleeping
Its fine if it cools down, the heat from the wontons will reheat it.
Cook yourhomemadeor store-bought wontonsin boiling water.
Freshly made non-frozen wontons will cook in 4 minutes and frozen ones will cook in 6 to 8 minutes.
Dont thaw, just plonk them in frozen!
(PS If youre brave, add an extra drizzle of chilli oil.
I like to be brave. )
Scooping up a good spoonful of the sauce with every wonton is essential here.
In fact, as mentioned earlier, the sauce is intentionally designed as such.
Just shovel the whole spoonful in and eat in one mouthful!
This really is very similar to the Din Tai Fung spicy wontons.
Though, as noted above, less sweet and less oily.
Big shout out to my brother andour Chef JBfor doing the legwork to crack the code!
The Chinese stock powder was the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
Spicy Asian Food Lovers, rejoice!
