Venison Wontons in Ginger Broth with Jeff Benda

Jeff Benda

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www.WildGameandFish.com

My girls and I love this recipe on cold winter days here in North Dakota. The beauty of wontons (and dumpling in general) is that they can contain so many different things. If you want to use meat, like that wild game in your freezer, go with this recipe. The key is to start with meat that is very cold so it will stick together better – and avoid the urge to overstuff the wontons. You should only use about a teaspoon of filling per wonton. Plan to only use half the assembled wontons this recipe creates, and freeze the other half to use in the future on a busy work night or school night when you want a quick and easy meal. Do not thaw before boiling. They should be cooked directly from frozen. Just add 1 minute to the recipe cooking time.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces ground venison, waterfowl, or upland bird
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch (1 TBSP for meat mixture and 2 TBSP for parchment paper)
• 3 teaspoons ground ginger (1 tsp for meat mixture and 2 tsp for broth)
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt, black pepper, sugar
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 50 square wonton wrappers
• Small bowl of water for sealing wontons
• 6 cups venison bone broth (or use beef or chicken broth)
• 8 baby carrots, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 Tablespoon each soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce
• 1 large handful of fresh spinach

Directions:

1. Add venison, yellow onion, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, salt, black pepper, sugar, and sesame oil in a bowl. Stir and blend well, then cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes while you set up the wonton making station.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust lightly with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch.
3. Lay wonton wrappers on the work surface and scoop 1 teaspoon of the venison filling slightly lower than the center of each wrapper. Paint the edges with water. Bring up a corner of the wrapper to meet the opposite corner to create a triangle. Use your thumb and index finger to seal the edges well and press out any air bubbles. Place the wontons on the prepared baking sheet so they are not touching. Repeat with the remaining filling and wonton wrappers. 
4. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat 
5. Meanwhile, in a 4-quart pot over high heat, bring the bone broth, sliced carrots, minced garlic and 2 teaspoons ground ginger to a boil. Lower heat, add sliced mushrooms, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce and simmer for 10 minutes to develop the flavors. 
6. Save and freeze HALF of the wontons. For this step, place them on a parchment paper-lined pan, cover them loosely with plastic wrap, and place them in the freezer until completely frozen, about 1 hour. Transfer them to a plastic bag, label them with description and date, and use for another meal.
7. For the other HALF of the wontons you made (about 24), gently drop them in one at a time, to a boiling pot of water. After the wontons float to the top, allow them to cook another 2 minutes. Next scoop them out with a slotted spoon and slide them into the bone broth mixture. Add the big handful of fresh spinach and stir. Turn the heat off, but keep pot on the burner and let them sit for 1 minute.
8. Divide the wontons and vegetables among soup bowls. Taste the broth and add a little more soy sauce if needed. Ladle the broth over the wontons and add a dash of sesame oil. Serve immediately.