Quail Wontons
Delectable quail wonton dumplings topped with chili crisp and green onions make a great appetizer or sharable upland dish
I’ve been bird hunting for 25 years, and I can honestly say I’ve failed to eat what I killed only a handful of times. Sometimes, the birds are too shot up. Only once or twice have I forgotten a bird in the bottom of a game pouch. For the most part, I’ve held up my end of the bargain and showed reverence for the lives I’ve extinguished in my pursuits afield. The dishes I’ve created out of them, however, have not always been great. Cooking is the same as bird hunting in that there’s a learning curve; the only way to get good at it is time plus repetition, and there’s always something new to learn.
This quail dumpling recipe was born out of a quest to replace the ubiquitous popper that so often finds its way into a potluck spread when a hunter is present at the said gathering. Not to hate on the popper; we’ve all gotta start somewhere, but we hunters can do better. Next time you serve your game birds to a crowd, make this recipe. I promise they’ll be the first thing gone from the buffet table.
Quail Wontons
Ingredients
Method
- Peel the carrot and garlic cloves, and remove the roots and green tops from the scallions. Finely dice the carrot, garlic cloves, and scallion whites. Set aside. Reserve the scallions for the garnish.
- Mince the quail breasts and fatty pork separately, then combine the meats and mince them again to evenly distribute the pork fat throughout the quail breast.
- Place the minced meat and the diced veggies in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, and granulated ginger. Mix until well combined.
- Prepare a small bowl with 1/2 cup of water near your folding station; this will be the glue for your wontons.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan (wait on this step if it’s your first time folding wontons, it’ll probably you take a minute to find your rhythm).
- Holding an open wrapper in one hand, use your other hand to scoop a small amount (about 2 ounces) of the filling into the wrapper. Dip a finger in the water and wet the top and side edges of the wrapper. Fold the corners together to make a rectangle, taking care to push out all air bubbles and create a good seal. Dab a drop of water onto the top corners of the rectangle and fold them together, creating a “nurse cap” shape. Repeat until all filling has been used.
- Now that you’ve finished folding, the water should be boiling. Place a dozen wontons into the boiling water. Turn the heat to high and wait for the water to return to a boil. Once it is boiling again, drop 5 ice cubes into the water to arrest the boil. Repeat this process twice more. Then repeat with the remaining 12 wontons.
- Drain the cooked wontons and place them in a mixing bowl. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of chili crisp over the wontons and stir to coat. Place the wontons on a plate and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of chili crisp. Top with sliced scallion tops for garnish and serve alongside a ramekin of the dumpling sauce for dipping (ponzu, teriyaki, or bachan’s all work here if you can’t find dumpling sauce).
