Chinese Takeout Wonton Soup

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1. 1Step 1: Heat 6 cups of water in a large pot or saucepan until simmering. Add the chicken bouillon powder and whisk until completely dissolved. Kill the heat.
2. 2Step 2: Add the table salt, MSG, sugar, white pepper, and soy sauce. Whisk until all seasonings are dissolved. Add the toasted sesame oil and whisk until evenly distributed.
3. 3Step 3: Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with extra salt, MSG, sugar, or soy sauce if needed. Once cooled, store in a covered container in the fridge for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
4. 4Step 4: Heat 6 cups of water in a large pot or saucepan until simmering. Add the chicken bouillon powder and whisk until completely dissolved. Lower the heat until the broth is just below a simmer.
5. 5Step 5: Add the lightly smashed garlic, ginger, and scallion whites to the broth. Lightly pounding them before adding helps release more flavor by rupturing some of the cell walls. Infuse the aromatics for 30 minutes, keeping the heat just below a simmer. If the broth is at a rolling boil, it will reduce too much and become overly concentrated.
6. 6Step 6: Remove the aromatics from the broth and turn off the heat. Add the table salt, MSG, sugar, white pepper, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and toasted sesame oil. Whisk until all seasonings are dissolved.
7. 7Step 7: Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning if needed. Once cooled, store in a covered container in the fridge for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
8. 8Step 8: Peel and devein the shrimp, then finely mince them until the shrimp resembles a paste. You want it as fine as you can get it. Add the minced shrimp and ground pork to a large bowl.
9. 9Step 9: Add the table salt, sugar, MSG, white pepper, grated garlic, grated ginger, cornstarch, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, water, chicken bouillon powder, and minced scallions to the bowl.
10. 10Step 10: Squeeze everything together with your hand until the ingredients are well incorporated. The mixture will look like it has too much liquid at first, but it will emulsify into the filling as you work it.
11. 11Step 11: Using your hand, stir the mixture in one direction for several minutes until you see little strands developing in the filling. These microscopic protein links give you the bouncy, springy texture of takeout wontons. The filling is ready when you can see tiny thread-like strands in the meat. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
12. 12Step 12: Place a wonton wrapper in front of you like a diamond. Put about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Wet two edges of the wrapper with water.
13. 13Step 13: Bring the bottom corner up to meet the top corner and lightly press the edges together to seal. Press down around the filling to remove as much air as possible, forming a small ball at the bottom of the dumpling. Bring both sides up to meet at the top and lightly press them together.
14. 14Step 14: Place a wonton wrapper in front of you like a diamond. Put about 2-3 teaspoons of filling in the center. Wet all four edges with water.
15. 15Step 15: Bring the bottom corner up to the top corner and press down on both sides to form a triangle. Press down around the filling to remove as much air as possible. Place the dumpling in your hand with the top corner facing your thumb.
16. 16Step 16: Wet one of the bottom corners with water. Bring the dry corner around the bottom so it overlaps with the wet corner and press them together. Pull the top flap up if it has folded down. The finished dumpling should have a slight dimple at the bottom.
17. 17Step 17: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Gently drop the wontons into the simmering water. Stir them gently right away so they don't sink and stick to the bottom.
18. 18Step 18: Cook for 4-6 minutes. You'll know they're done when the wrappers turn translucent and you can see the filling has plumped up inside. For frozen wontons, add 1-2 extra minutes.
19. 19Step 19: Remove the wontons from the water with a spider strainer or slotted spoon. Drain them thoroughly.
20. 20Step 20: Place the cooked, drained wontons in a large bowl. Pour hot broth over the wontons until they're covered. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and serve immediately.
21. 21Step 21: Add the soy sauce and water to a small pot or saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and lightly crushed ginger. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and infuse the aromatics for 30 minutes.
22. 22Step 22: Kill the heat and whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the spices. Store in a covered container in the fridge pretty much indefinitely.
23. 23Step 23: To serve, layer cooked wontons in a bowl and pour the sweet aromatic soy sauce over them. Add chili oil and crispy garlic, then top with thinly sliced scallions.