Cumin Lamb and Potato Wontons

Name: Cumin Lamb and Potato Wontons
Total time: 2 hours
Yield: Makes 60
Ingredients: 2 scallions, trimmed; 1 ¼"-thick piece ginger; 8 oz. russet potato (1 medium or ½ large); ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; ½ small leek, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped (about ¼ cup); Kosher salt; 12 oz. ground lamb; 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce; 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine); 2 tsp. sugar; 2 tsp. cornstarch; 1 tsp. ground cumin; ¼ tsp. freshly ground white pepper; 2 packages Shanghai-style wonton wrappers; ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar; 2 Tbsp. fruit jam (such as blueberry or raspberry); 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted; 1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes; ½ tsp. crushed red Sichuan peppercorns; 1 scallion, thinly sliced on a diagonal

By Betty Liu

January 20, 2025

A bowl of cumin lamb potato and leek wontons in a balsamicsauce

Photo by Betty Liu

These wontons are always a big hit with my husband and our friends. The assertive flavor of the lamb is complemented by the warm spice cumin, and the sautéed leek adds an intense allium hit. The potato makes the filling tender and rounds out the flavors. A fruity balsamic reduction, saved from being too sweet by tingling Sichuan peppercorns, is the perfect counterpoint.

I always choose the wonton wrappers that are labeled “Shanghai style, large” on the package. They are bigger than the average wonton wrappers, and they have an ideal wrapper-to-filling ratio. You’ll want to avoid making wontons with a skimpy filling, but you should also avoid making them too chubby. The skin is part of the textural experience.

Excerpted with permission from The Chinese Way.

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