Directions

1. Put the diced garlic in a sieve and quickly rinse under running water for 30 seconds, then shake off the access water. The purpose is to wash off the sticky chemical called mercaptans because it will bring a bitter taste after deep frying.

2. To make the caramelized scallion sauce, add 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, 3 tbsp of diced shallots, 1 cup of diced scallions, and 3 tbsp of diced and rinsed garlic. Cook all the aromatics for 10-18 minutes and stir every 30 seconds to prevent burning. You can have the heat at medium in the beginning; as the moisture evaporates, gradually lower the heat so you don't burn anything,
3. Once all the aromatic are golden brown, push them to the side and scoop out 2-3 tbsp of oil. Don't scoop out everything because we need some oil to make the wonton filling juicy.
4. Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tbsp of oyster sauce, and 1 tsp of dark soy sauce. Stir over low heat for a minute or 2 to condense the sauce. Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool on the side.
5. To debone the chicken leg quarters, remove the backbone by using a pair of heavy-duty scissors. Lay the chicken leg skin side down. Touch it with your finger to locate the tibia bone inside the drumstick and the femur bone inside the chicken thigh. Get a sharp knife to slice it open and clean up the tissue to expose these two bones.
6. Tuck your thumb and forefinger under these two bones and loosen up all the muscle groups. Stick the tip of the knife under and cut off the connection around the joint. Then, pull the chicken meat off entirely.
7. Chicken leg quarters are budget-friendly and you get to use the bonus scraps to make a quick, flavorful broth. It is totally fine to use boneless, skinless thighs, and if you don't have the scrabs, use store bought chicken stock instead.
8. Add the chicken fat to a stock pot and render over medium-low heat for a few minutes or until you get some oil out of it. Add the chicken skins and bones. Fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until nicely charred. Add 6-8 cups of water or stock, 2 inches of crushed ginger, 3 scallions, 2 shallots, and 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper. Bring it to a boil, then switch the heat to low and simmer for however long you work on the rest of the ingredients because this is not a time-consuming kind of broth.
9. Cut the chicken meat into bite-size pieces. Then, grind it using a food processor.
10. Combine the ground chicken with the cooled scallion sauce along with 1/2 cup of diced scallions. We already fried tons of scallions, why add more? Well, fresh scallions and caramelized scallions taste different. Using both of them creates a multi-level of flavors. Set the filling aside.
11. Use a fine sieve to remove all the solid ingredients from the pot. I like to switch to an oil strainer, which not only can get the smallest impurities but also removes most of the oil because chicken leg quarters are quite fatty.
12. Add the carrot and celery and let them cook for 10 minutes or until soft.
13. Use your biggest piping tip and put it into a piping bag along with all the filling. Yes, you didn't hear me wrong. I have many piping bags for multiple purposes. I use it to make rice noodles, make casing-free sausages, and wrap wontons.
14. Squeeze a little bit filling onto a wonton wrapper. Fold the top corner, then follow with two side corners. Give it a tight pinch and done.
15. If you can't fold with one hand, put the wrapper on the cutting surface, squeeze some filling, and fold one corner over. Use two hands to gather the wrapper and pinch it tightly. Using this method, you should be able to wrap 50 wontons within 5 minutes. Wonton is freezer-friendly, so I recommend you double or triple this recipe and freeze the extra. Whenever you want to eat wontons again, no need to defrost, just directly boil them and you will be able to enjoy a warm bowl anytime with zero fuss.
16. The carrot and celery should be cooked to soft by now. Add some salt to taste.
17. Add the wontons and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Then the water should come back to a boil. Add 1/2 cup of cold water and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Adding cold water is a technique in China known as Dian Leng Shui. It helps lower the temperature slightly to keep the water at a gentle simmer. If the water boils too vigorously, the delicate wonton wrappers can easily tear.
18. Last, toss in the baby bok choy and blanch for 30 seconds. Before serving, drizzle the reserved aromatic oil in the soup. Enjoy!