Preparation:
Preparing the wontons: March-chop the ground meat a few times to loosen its formation. Put it in a bowl and add the seasonings; mix until smooth. Divide roughly into 36 tiny portions and wrap them in the wonton wrappers. (Wet edges of wrappers all around, place a small teaspoon of mixture in center. Bring all four sides together into a point to make a good seal.)
Bring 5 to 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot; turn heat to medium high, drop in the wontons, and stir gently. When the water boils again, add 1 1/2 cups cold water; when it comes to a boil again, add another 1 1/2 cups cold water. When it comes to a boil this time, let it boil for about 2 minutes. The wontons are cooked when they float to the top. Repeatedly adding cold water serves two purposes; it gives the wontons enough time to cook as well as rinsing them, since filled wontons should not be rinsed after cooking as noodles are.
After boiling, the wontons may be covered and stored 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator. Submerge them in cold water to separate them before adding them to soup.
Completing the soup: When ready to complete the soup, bring the stock to a simmer over medium heat and drop the wontons into it. Add the torn spinach, and when the stock comes to a boil, turn heat to medium low and simmer for about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt or light soy sauce. Serve from a tureen or in individual bowls. Let each individual put a few more drops of sesame oil in their serving. |
