Gau Gee

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Toasted sesame oil and crunchy water chestnuts enrich the pork filling in these Gau Gee, crispy fried wontons, from chef Kiki Aranita. "At the many family feasts that I attend in Hawaii, gau gee are ubiquitous," says Aranita. "I'm also half Chinese, so this recipe uses the pork-and-chestnut filling that I learned to make as a child in Hong Kong." Aranita likes to serve Gau Gee alongside a simple Spicy Mayo Dip. To make it, just stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 teaspoon Poi Dog Chili Peppah Water (Aranita's version of chile pepper water, a staple Hawaiian condiment) or ichimi togarashi.

By Kiki Aranita

Updated on August 2, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Crispy Pork and Water Chestnut Gau Gee — Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs

Servings:

8

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

8 ounces ground pork
½ cup roughly chopped water chestnuts
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 ¼ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 ½ tablespoons water
¼ cup cornstarch
40 yellow egg wonton wrappers
Canola oil, for frying
Spicy Mayo Dip (see note)

Directions

Combine ground pork, water chestnuts, soy sauce, scallion, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, garlic, and salt in a large bowl; mix thoroughly with your hands until just combined. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 12 hours.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together egg and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Place cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time, place about 1 teaspoon pork filling on center of wrapper. Using a finger, trace 2 connected edges of the wrapper with some of the egg wash; fold the wrapper in half to form a triangle, pressing gently on filling to eliminate air pockets. Dust bottom of gau gee lightly with some of the cornstarch to prevent sticking; place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining wrappers and filling. Cover and freeze at least 15 minutes.
Pour canola oil into a large Dutch oven to a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Heat over medium-high until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375°F. Working in 6 or 7 batches, add 6 gau gee to hot oil; fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Drain gau gee on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve warm with spicy mayo dip. —Kiki Aranita, philadelphia

Make Ahead

Assembled gau gee can be frozen up to 2 months.

Suggested Pairing

Lively, aromatic Pinot Grigio: Peter Zemmer Alto Adige

Note

Find Poi Dog Chili Peppah Water seasoning at poidogphilly.com.

Spicy Mayo Dip

Stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 teaspoon Poi Dog Chili Peppah Water (Aranita's version of chile pepper water, a staple Hawaiian condiment) or ichimi togarashi.

Originally appeared: October 2021