Shrimp Wanton Ramen

Ingredients:

500g fresh shrimp

1 packet of fresh/dried ramen

Soup

2 tbsp cooking oil

prawn shell

1 cup rice wine

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups soy milk or water

Wontons

2 cloves garlic ~ chopped

1oz ginger ~ chopped

2 spring onions ~ chopped

1 egg white

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp rice wine

1 tsp sesame oil

1-1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp ground black pepper

Wonton wrappers

Ramen (per bowl)

1 clove garlic ~ grated

1 tbsp Tsuyu (Japanese soup base sauce)

1/2 bok choy

1 portion fresh/frozen ramen noodles

1/2 ramen egg (recipe)

chopped green onions

black & white sesame seeds

Chili oil ~ optional

Direction/Instruction:

1. Remove the heads and shells from the shrimp and place them in a medium-sized pot for the soup. Set the meat aside for the wontons. Add cooking oil to a pot, turn the heat to medium-high, and sauté the shrimp heads and shells. Use a wooden spoon to press the shrimp heads during this time, extracting a delicious buttery flavor from the orange "goo.
2. When the shrimp heads and shells turn orange and the bottom of the pan has plenty of brown bits, about 4 minutes, add rice wine to deglaze the pot. Pour in the chicken stock and soy milk, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes without a lid, stirring occasionally.
3. For the wontons, chop the shrimp meat until it becomes sticky and pasty. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with all the wonton ingredients. Take a wonton wrapper and wet the edges with a little cold water. Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center and fold the wrapper by bringing all the edges together. No special folding skills are needed for this type of wonton, but ensure it's well-sealed. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Once the soup has finished simmering, remove the shrimp heads and shells from the broth and keep it warm.
4. Bring another pot of water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt. Blanch the bok choy for 1 minute, then remove, drain, and set aside.
5. Drop the wontons (5-7 per serving) into the now-empty boiling salted water. After 30 seconds, add fresh ramen noodles and cook according to the package directions. If using dried ramen noodles, cook them separately ahead of time.
6. In a serving bowl, grate 1 clove of garlic and add 1 tablespoon of tsuyu. Pour in 1 ½ to 2 cups of broth, drain the cooked ramen noodles, and add them in. Stir the noodles to coat them evenly with the broth and arrange them nicely. Top with wontons, blanched bok choy, ramen egg, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and chili oil.

Note: You can substitute soy milk with water if you prefer clear shrimp broth to creamy broth.