Dim Sum - Olympic Food Challenge : Hong Kong

Like many other entries in my trip around the culinary world, Hong Kong has such a mixed bag of influences that it has been difficult to pin down a dish and say 'this represents Hong Kong like Yorkshire Puddings represent Yorkshire'  Cantonese, western and other Asian styles mix together to form a melting pot of food, as you would expect from a region famous for its trading and port city. (ooh, I came over all 'rough guide' there, didn't I?)

To fully appreciate this meal, one has to picture themselves standing in a neon-lit, Blade Runner-esque street in the rain, eating Hong Kong street food from a vendor with a cart and a plastic umbrella, surrounded by sky-scrapers in a city perched between mountains and the sea. We did a mix of dim sum, sometimes referred to as Cantonese Tapas (As I'm not wikipediea, I refuse to cite any sources so you will just have to take my word for all of the above) as it is said that the best dim sum is served in Honk Kong, rather than mainland China.

A trip to the same supermarket that yielded Duck's tongue also provided us with wonton and dumpling wrappers, some straw mushrooms and char sui sauce.  I wanted to do steamed chicken's feet as well, but the store was fresh out (Much to Mrs Soup's joy, I suspect...)

At this year's Olympics, Hong Kong won a Bronze in the Women's Keirin, where she was beaten to the gold by the nation's sweetheart Victoria Pendleton

Miso Soup With Prawn Wontons

We went to the local Chinese supermarket the other day and I have to admit, I was like a child in a sweet shop, especially when I got to the sweet section.  Although I really wanted to try some of the weird and wonderful esoteric ingredients, I feel that the world is not yet ready for my Duck's Tongue and Pig Intestine Soup.

But whilst we were stocking up on huge bottles of Soy Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce and Shrimp Crackers, I also picked up the ingredients for a few other things, including Pot Stickers, and with the left over wonton wrappers I decided to make this tasty little number.  It also has quite a few other bits and pieces that  you might have to visit an Asian supermarket, but my advice would be to go for it, pick something up you've never tried before and go for it.

Duck's tongues, I have since found out, have bones in them. 

Ingredients
The Soup
25g Dashi Power
1.2l Water
3tbsp Miso Paste
1tbsp Mirin
1tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
6 Bok Choi
2 Cloves Garlic
75g Shiitake Mushrooms

The Wontons
20 Wonton Wrappers
75g Prawns
5 Water Chestnut
2tsp Sesame Oil
2tsp Dark Soy Sauce
1tsp Minced Ginger 

1. Peel the water chestnuts, then chop finely.  Do the same with the prawns, and then mix in a bowl with the rest of the wonton filling ingredients.

2. Put 1 tsp of the mixture in the middle of each wonton wrapper.  With a pastry brush, wet the edges of the wonton wrapper, then gather the edges up to make little parcels

3.  Put the water in a large pan with the Dashi, Miso paste, Mirin, Soy Sauce and minced garlic, then bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

4.  Chop the mushrooms and bok choi.  Add these to the soup.

5.  Put the wontons in the soup carefully and cook for a further 2 minutes and then serve.  Be careful not to burst the wontons putting the in or taking them out!  Enjoy