This recipe began with my obsession with wontons and garlic sauce from a particular Chinese restaurant that’s nowhere near my home. Naturally, I had to recreate it myself. Since then, these wontons have become the stuff of Pascal family legend. It’s my family’s all-time favorite Yom Tov appetizer. The only downside? It’s pretty much guaranteed to upstage basically any other dish you serve at the same meal!

Directions

Prepare the Wontons

1. Combine beef, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, scallions, and garlic in a large bowl; stir gently until just combined.

2. Place about two teaspoons meat mixture onto the center of a wonton wrapper. Brush a small amount of water along the edges before pressing them together to help keep them sealed; bring the edges together to form a wonton. Set aside; repeat with remaining meat and wonton wrappers.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop a few wontons into the boiling water; cook for about six minutes, until the meat is cooked through. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Remove wontons with a slotted spoon; place on Gefen Parchment Paper, not touching each other. Set wontons aside.

Prepare the Garlic Sauce

1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat; simmer mixture for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.

Assemble

1. Just before serving, toss cooked wontons in sauce; warm through.

2. If desired, garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.

Tips:

Plan Ahead: Wontons can be frozen, without sauce, either before cooking (boil just before serving; if boiling frozen, add one minute to cooking time) or after cooking. Sauce can be prepared up to three days ahead and stored in the fridge. Combine wontons and reheated sauce just before serving.