Ingredients

• FOR THE MOLO OR WONTON FILLING:
• 4 pieces dried shitake mushrooms
• ½ pound shrimp, shelled and deviened
• ½ pound lean ground pork
• ¼ cup finely minced water chestnuts
• 1 tablespoon rice wine or Sherry
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• scant ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 pack wonton wrappers
• FOR THE SOUP:
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, minced or , ½ cup minced
• 2 garlic gloves, minced or 2 teaspoons, minced
• 1 cup shredded boiled chicken meat
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 3 stalks of scallions, trimmed and minced
• salt
• white pepper
• GARNISHING AND DIPPING SAUCES:
• 3 tablespoon crispy garlic *see note.
• ¼ cup calamansi juice
• ¼ cup soy sauce

Method

Step 1

PREPARE THE FILLING: Soak the mushrooms in 3/4 cup of hot water for 30 minutes or until softened. Take mushrooms out and squeeze dry. Reserve the soaking liquid. Cut off tough stems and discard. Finely mince mushroom caps.

Step 2

Finely mince shrimps. In a medium size bowl, combine: shrimps, ground pork, mushrooms, water chestnuts, rice wine, soy sauce, salt, egg and sesame oil. Season with scant ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Stir to combine the ingredients well. Cover and set aside.

Step 3

Prepare and assemble molo: Prepare a half-sheet pan or tray lined with parchment paper, a lightly damp clean kitchen towel and a small bowl of water. Set these close to your working area.

Step 4

Take a half stack of wonton wrappers. Set this on a plate and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Return the remaining won tons inside the refrigerator.

Step 5

ASSEMBLY: 1) Lay wonton wrapper with one point facing up -diamond shape 2) Draw an imaginary line across the middle and place a little less than a teaspoon of filling right below this line. Fold the corner nearest you over filling and roll up ¾ of the way 3) Dab the tips of the outer corners with a little water. Bring the two corners in the middle, overlapping them and press to seal.

Step 6

Put assembled wontons on a tray and cover with damp towel. NOTE: You can freeze the wontons. Put tray inside freezer and leave it there for an hour or until wontons are frozen solid. Transfer won tons to freezer bags. Won tons can be stored frozen up to 3 weeks.

Step 7

If you have some wrappers left, cut these into ½ inch strips and add to the tray. (We will add this to the soup!)

Step 8

PREPARE THE SOUP: Heat butter and oil in a large pot for about a minute or less. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat. Sauté until onions are softened and translucent. Add garlic and continue to sauté for about a minute more.

Step 9

Add the chicken and broth. Bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower heat to a simmer. Carefully drop won tons in batches, 3-4 pieces at a time. Stir soup after you drop won tons, so they do not stick to each other.

Step 10

After all the won tons have been added, add the strips of won ton wrappers. Simmer won tons and strips for 4 minutes. When wont tons float to the surface, add the scallions and simmer for 2 minutes more.

Step 11

Turn off heat. Season with salt and white pepper.

Step 12

Pour soup into bowls. Sprinkle top with crispy garlic and serve with calamansi and soy sauce dipping sauces.

*Note: Ready made fried garlic is available bottled in most Asian markets; if you want to make it yourself, here is how you do it- Put 3 tablespoons of oil and 3 tablespoons of minced garlic in a small skillet. Heat over low and pan- fry till garlic turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat as soon as garlic turns brown (they continue to cook in the hot oil). Pour off oil and strain the garlic in a fine mesh sieve. Set fried garlic on a paper towel lined plate to blot off excess oil.

Recipe courtesy of Melanie Cecilio.