Traditional Hong Kong Prawn Only Wontons

In the world of Cantonese fine dining, this is the wonton that separates the serious from the casual. No pork, no fillers, no shortcuts. Just whole, perfectly prepared prawns encased in a wrapper so thin and so delicate that you can see the pink of the shrimp glowing right through it before it even hits the broth. This is the premium wonton that the most celebrated Hong Kong noodle shops have built their reputations on, and the technique behind it — from the way the prawns are prepared to the specific goldfish tail fold that lets the wrapper flow freely in the soup — is as intentional and precise as any dish in the Chinese culinary canon. Here at Yunion, our extra thin wonton skins are the only choice for this recipe. Their delicacy is exactly what makes this wonton so extraordinary.

Serves: 4 Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 400g whole raw prawns, peeled and deveined

• 30g pork fat back, very finely minced — optional but adds wonderful moisture

• 1 egg white

• 1 tsp light soy sauce

• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp sugar

• Pinch of white pepper

• Pinch of salt

For wrapping:

• 1 packet Yunion Thin Wonton Skins

• Small bowl of water for sealing

For the broth:

• 1 litre premium chicken or pork bone broth, piping hot

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• Pinch of white pepper

To serve:

• Fresh yellow chives, cut into 5cm lengths

• Choi sum, blanched

• White pepper to taste

  
  

Method

• Prepare the prawns using the correct technique for this specific recipe. Pat each prawn completely dry with paper towel — any surface moisture will prevent the filling from achieving the right texture. Rather than mincing the prawns finely, lightly smash each one with the flat side of a knife blade, then roughly chop into large, chunky pieces. You want the prawns to remain bouncy and distinct inside the wrapper rather than becoming a smooth paste.

• Place prepared prawns in a bowl. Add pork fat back if using, egg white, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, and salt. Mix gently but thoroughly until combined. Do not overwork the mixture — rough, chunky, and lightly combined is exactly right.

• Refrigerate the filling for 15 minutes. Chilling firms the mixture slightly and makes it easier to handle during wrapping.

• Place a Yunion thin wonton skin flat on a clean surface in a diamond orientation. Add a small teaspoon of filling to the upper centre of the skin, leaving plenty of wrapper below.

• Use the goldfish tail fold for this recipe. Gently fold the top portion of the wrapper loosely over the filling, enclosing it without pressing down tightly. Moisten the two bottom side corners with water and bring them together underneath the filling, pressing gently to join. The rest of the wrapper below the filling should remain free and flowing rather than tightly folded or pleated. This loose, open tail is what allows the thin wrapper to billow and flow in the broth like a goldfish tail.

• Place finished wontons on a lightly floured tray, handling them gently.

• Cook wontons in a pot of gently simmering water — not a rolling boil, which would cause the delicate skins to tear — for 3 to 4 minutes until the prawns are just cooked through and the wrappers are translucent and silky.

• Transfer carefully to serving bowls with a slotted spoon. Ladle hot seasoned broth over the top and garnish with yellow chives and blanched choi sum.

  
  

Tips

• Patting the prawns completely dry before preparing the filling is the single most important step in this recipe. Surface moisture prevents the egg white from binding the filling properly and results in a loose, wet filling that falls apart inside the wrapper during cooking.

• The goldfish tail fold is intentionally loose and open, which feels counterintuitive if you're used to tightly sealed dumplings. Trust the technique. The thin Yunion wonton skin softens so quickly in the hot broth that it doesn't need to be sealed tightly — and the flowing tail is what gives this wonton its distinctive, elegant appearance in the bowl.

• Simmer rather than boil. Extra thin wonton skins are genuinely delicate and a rolling boil will cause them to tear and disintegrate in the water. A gentle, barely bubbling simmer treats them with the care they deserve and produces a silky, intact wrapper every single time.

  
  

Find Yunion Near You

Our full range of fresh noodles is available at select supermarkets and Asian grocery stores across Perth. Find your nearest stockist and make your next family gathering one to remember.