Chicken, Ginger and Chive Wonton Soup

An aromatic and comforting soup for those colder spring nights. Chinese chives are available from good Asian grocers, but if you can’t find any, replace with finely chopped spring onion or chives.

WONTONS

300 grams chicken mince

¼ cup finely chopped fresh coriander

3 tablespoons finely chopped Chinese chives

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

1½ teaspoons caster sugar 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 egg 1 tablespoon cornflour

2 tablespoons water 36 wonton wrappers SOUP 1.5 litres chicken stock 2 star anise 1cm slice fresh ginger 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 12 broccolini stems

4 small bunches bok choy, cut in half TO SERVE 2 spring onions, thinly sliced ½ cup fresh coriander

WONTONS: Place all the wonton filling ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.

Set yourself up with a clean work bench, a small bowl of water, wonton wrappers and filling.

Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of a wonton wrapper. Using your finger, dab a little water around the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half, creating a triangle shape. Seal the edges, pushing out any air bubbles that may be trapped as you go. Take the folded edge, dab one corner with water and bring the two folded corners together until they just overlap; seal tightly. Continue this process with remaining wontons and filling. SOUP: In a large pot, combine the stock, star anise, ginger, hoisin and soy sauces. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season with salt. Add the wontons in batches; once they float to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the gently simmering stock. Add the broccolini and bok choy to the stock and cook until tender. TO SERVE: Divide the soup among bowls and top with sliced spring onion and coriander leaves. SERVES 6