Southern Style Wontons

Does anyone have that one food that they grew up with that is still a favorite of theirs? Mine is my late grandmother's Southern Style Wontons. I say southern style because they are not the typical wontons that you would get at an Asian restaurant. They are simpler, easier, and little more "anything goes". My grandmother was a cook that never measured anything and threw everything and the kitchen sink into her food. I spent my childhood cooking with her and still think of her every time I make a meal. With no further introduction, here are my grandma's famous Southern Style Wontons:

Ingredients

Two crowns of broccoli 

One small head of cabbage

One package of wonton wrappers

Soy sauce

One stick margarine or butter

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Step One

Wash broccoli. Trim excess stem from broccoli crowns and chop into individual miniature crowns.

Step Two

Place broccoli in water and boil on medium to high heat until tender. This process takes approximately 15 minutes. The broccoli should be tender enough to easily cut through with a fork.

Step Three

Drain the broccoli in a collared over a sink. Set aside for later.

Step Four

Wash cabbage. Chop cabbage into small slices, similar to how coleslaw is prepared.

Step Five

Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in a medium skillet on medium to high heat and combine with 1/3 cup soy sauce. This process takes approximate 1 minute. 

Step Six

Add 2 cups sliced cabbage to the skillet after butter/soy sauce mixture is thoroughly melted. Cook on medium heat until it is tender. The cabbage should be tender enough that it has no snap when chewed. This process takes approximately 10 minutes. 

Step Seven

Add cooked broccoli, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon onion powder to skillet.

Step Eight

Combine and chop the cabbage/broccoli mixture in the skillet on medium heat with a spatula until the mixture is evenly chopped and mixed. 

Step Nine

Remove mixture from heat and let cool.

Folding

There are two different wrapping style that I use to wrap my wontons. The both have different pros and cons to them. The triangular fold pattern that I use is more traditional and cook more evenly, but it is more time consuming and harder to achieve. The square fold pattern that I use is easier and quicker to create, but it causes the wrapper to cook slightly uneven due to the layers and tends to collect oil while frying. I suggest that you try both folding patterns and see which works best for you!

Triangular Folding Pattern

Place wonton wrapper on a dry plate. Place one spoonful of vegetable mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper. Moisten the tip of your finger or the tip of a food-grade brush, then run finger/brush around the edges of the wrapper to moisten them.

Fold the wrapper in a triangle, careful to keep all the filling inside. 

Press the edges together to form a seal.

Square Folding Pattern

Place wonton wrapper on a dry plate. Place one spoonful of vegetable mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper. Moisten the tip of your finger or the tip of a food-grade brush, then brush all four corners of the wrapper to moisten them. 

Fold one corner in toward the center.

Fold the opposite corner toward the center.

Repeat the process for the other two corners.

The desired shape is a square with all the edges folded into the center. Press the middle of the wrapper where all four corners meet to create a seal. 

Repeat preferred folding technique until all vegetable mixture is gone.

Cooking 

There are also two different cooking methods you can use for cooking wontons. The most popular, and my personal favorite, is frying the wontons. However, if you are trying to be more conscious about health, baked it definitely the way to go. Again, I suggest trying both methods to see which you prefer!

Fried Wontons

Heat vegetable oil in a medium sauce pan on medium to high heat. Test oil temperature by placing a wonton in the oil. The oil should immediately bubble up around the wonton if the oil temperature is correct. Fry wontons three or four at a time until brown and crispy.

Baked Wontons

Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Place wontons in a nonstick pan. Place wontons in the heated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy.

Serve warm with a side of soy sauce. Pair with Sesame Chicken or Beef and Broccoli for a more complete meal. 

Freeze leftover, uncooked wontons in a single layer on a plate for one hour and then transfer to a freezer ziplock bag for storage. Store them in the freezer and then cook them later!

This is a recipe that is near and dear to my heart. While it does take a considerable amount of preparation between the folding and cooking, it is totally worth it! Enjoy cooking and munching!