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Ingredients	Serves
12	4

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INGREDIENTS
2 cups rice wine vinegar	2 large red chillies, finely sliced on the diagonal
1 ½ cup white sugar	vegetable oil for deep frying
5 tablespoons fish sauce
Wontons
9 uncooked medium sized prawns (shrimp) – about 300g	2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon roughly chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves	¼ teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon finely sliced spring onion (scallions)	¼ teaspoon sesame oil
1 ½ teaspoons finely diced ginger	16 fresh wonton wrappers, about 7cm (3 in) square
1 teaspoon shao hsing wine or dry sherry

DIRECTIONS

Place vinegar and sugar in a medium-sized heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by almost half and slightly syrupy. Remove from stove, stir in fish sauce and chillies and set aside.

For the wontons, peel and de-vein prawns, then dice prawn meat, you should have about 150 g diced prawn meat. Combine prawn meat and remaining ingredients, except wonton wrappers, in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Next, fill and shape the wontons.

Heat oil in a hot wok until surface seems to shimmer slightly. Add wontons in batches and deep-fry for about 2 minutes or until just cooked and lightly browned. To test the wontons, you will need to remove one using a slotted spoon and cut into it with a sharp knife to see that the prawns are cooked through. Remove wontons with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper. Repeat process with remaining wontons.

Arrange wontons on a platter and serve immediately, with a bowl of sweet chilli dipping sauce.

 

PEELING, DE-VEINING AND DICING PRAWNS

1. Remove head from prawn with a slight twisting motion.
2. Peel shells and legs from body of prawn. Remove tail.
3. Lay prawn flat on its side and make an incision down its back.
4. Using the tip of your knife scrape away the dark vein and any innards.
5. Cut prawn meat into roughly 1.5cm dice.

 

FILLING AND SHAPING WONTONS

1. Place a rounded teaspoon of the filling in the center of a wonton wrapper.
2. Dip your finger in water and moisten the bottom edge of the wrapper.
3. Fold the wrapper in half, toward you, to enclose the filling.
4. Press lightly to seal.
5. Hold the wonton lengthways between your hands with the folded edge facing down.
6. Fold the sealed edge of the wonton back on itself then lightly moisten one corner of the folded edge with water.
7. Finally, taking the two ends in your fingers, bring them together with a twisting action, and press them lightly to join.
8. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.