Homemade Wonton Soup

Ingredients

• For the broth:
• 2 pounds chicken backs, wingtips, and/or bones. roughly chopped with a cleaver
• 1 1/2 pound pig's trotters, split or sliced
• 3 ounces Chinese ham or prosciutto
• 1 square piece of kombu
• 1 ounce dried shrimp or stockfish, optional
• 8 scallions, whites and greens reserved separately
• 1 knob fresh ginger, sliced, plus 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 12 leaves napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces, divided
• Kosher salt
• For the wontons:
• 24 small shrimp, shells removed and reserved
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup sliced yellow chives, divided
• 24 wonton wrappers, thin variety preferred

Directions

1. Start with the broth: add the chicken, pork trotters, and ham to a large stockpot, then cover them with water. Set the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. Let it bubble for 10 minutes, then pour the contents into the sink and let the liquid drain away. Rinse the meat and bones under cold running water, rubbing off any scum or blood clots you see, and return them to the stockpot. Add cold water until it rises about 1 inch above the bones. Add the kombu, dried shrimp or stockfish, scallion whites, sliced 4-inch knob of ginger, and 4 cabbage leaves. If you are using shell-on shrimp for the wontons, add those reserved shells to the broth too. Bring the pot back to a boil over high heat, then turn it down to the gentlest simmer and cook, uncovered, until the broth is deeply flavorful, about 2 hours. Fish out the bones with tongs and discard them. Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large saucepan. If you are using it the same day, skim off the fat with a ladle. The broth can also go into sealed containers and be refrigerated overnight; the next day, remove the solid fat from the top with a spoon.
2. For the wontons, put the shrimp in a small bowl. Add the baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup water, then mix it with your fingers. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 day in the refrigerator. Drain the shrimp when you are ready to use them.
3. While the shrimp rest, add the pork, 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, half the chives, and 1 teaspoon salt to a medium bowl. Work everything together with your fingers until the mixture is evenly combined. For a quick seasoning check, put a tiny piece of filling on a microwave-safe plate; cook it at high power until it is done, about 10 seconds. Taste it, then add more salt if needed.
4. Lay 1 wonton wrapper on the center of your cutting board, keeping the remaining wrappers covered with plastic. Scoop a 1 tablespoon-sized portion of the pork filling into the middle, then place 1 shrimp on top. Wet your fingertip and trace water around the edge of the wrapper.
5. Bring 2 opposite corners together at the top, then press the remaining sides closed with your fingertips to make a triangle, pushing out as much air as you can.
6. Draw the 2 opposite corners toward each other so the triangle becomes a plump folded crescent, using a little water to help the edges stick. Transfer it to a plate, then continue shaping the remaining wontons the same way.
7. For the soup, bring the broth to a boil. Add the wontons and cabbage, and cook until the wontons are done all the way through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining chives, take the soup off the heat, and leave it for 1 minute to cool. Serve right away.