Monday 30 November 2009

Now we are cooking!!!!!

Now we have got things rolling has anyone got a recipe to rival (or surpass) these if so do not be shy and share, I would love to hear from you. In the mean time hear is a quicky to keep you going.

16 wonton wrappers
300 g soft cream cheese
icing sugar
1 egg

Method

1. Mix cream cheese with icing sugar make it as sweet or savoury as you want.
2. Layout your wraps
3.brush the edges with the egg and fill .
4.Fold the wontons into whatever shape you want, making sure they are well sealed.
5. Fry until golden brown.
6. serve with the ice cream of your choice.

Chocolate & Banana wontons

Ingredients

2 dairy milk chocolate bars (small)
16 wonton wrappers
2 bananas sliced
vanilla ice cream
200g cinnamon sugar

Method
1. Leave choclate bars at room temperature for 24 hours
2.Cut each bar into 8 chunks form each chunk into a disk the same size as the diameter of your banana.
3.Lay the wonton skins out, paint the edges with water. In the center of the wonton skin, place a disk of milk chocolate and a banana slice on top of the chocolate.
4.Fold the wonton skin corner to corner to make a triangle and press together well to seal completely.
5.Heat the oil in a deep pot to 350 degrees.
6.Place the wontons into the oil, being careful not to crowd them and fry, turning often, until golden brown.
7. Meanwhile, place the cinnamon sugar in a bowl.
8.Remove the wontons with a slotted spoon and immediately dredge them in the cinnamon sugar to coat heavily.
9.Serve right away with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Dipping Sauces here are a few ideas


Peanut dipping sauce

Ingredients

5 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons warm water
2 1/2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 teaspoons white granulated sugar

Preparation

1.Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl.
2.Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
4.Before serving, thin the sauce with a bit more warm water if needed.
5.Use the peanut sauce within 3 - 4 days.

Ginger & Spring Onion dipping sauce.

Ingredients


2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water or chicken broth
1 teaspoon brown sugar, or to taste
6 spring onions ends removed, finely chopped
1 2-inch slice fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 green or red chili pepper, de-seeded and sliced
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Combine the soy sauce, water, and sugar in a small heatproof bowl. Stir in the scallions, ginger, and chopped chili pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until it is shimmering on the bottom and very hot but not yet smoking (about 300 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. Carefully pour the oil into the scallion/ginger mixture. It will sizzle for a few seconds.
4. Once it stops sizzling, stir, and then let stand for 2 minutes before serving.

Plum dipping sauce.

Ingredients

250 g plum jam
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 pinch of garlic salt
1/3 - 1/2 cup of water (depending on how thick the jam is)

Preparation

1.Mix the ingredients together well.
2.Bring to a boil on low heat.
3.Cool the sauce and store in a jar in the refrigerator.
4.Use within a few days.

Sweet & Sour dipping sauce.

Ingredients

1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water

Preparation

1.Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot.
2.Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.
3.If desired, you can add 1 green pepper, cut into chunks, and pineapple chunks as desired after adding the cornstarch.
4.For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons while keeping the water constant.

Dumpling dipping sauce.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons red wine or red rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot chili oil
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon minced ginger

Preparation

1.Combine all the ingredients.
2.Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1 hour to give the flavors a chance to blend.

Smoked Salon & Cream Cheese Wontons

Ingredients

450 g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
200 g fresh smoked salmon
2 tsp flour
3 spring onions finely diced
1 egg, beaten
oil for deep fryer
Wonton Wrappers

Method
1.Finely chop the Smoked Salmon.
2.Combine the cream cheese, Smoked Salmon, spring onion and flour.
3.Beat the egg in a small bowl - this will be used to brush the edges of the wonton wrappers before folding, and helps to keep them together.
4.Spoon the filling on to the center of each wonton skin and brush edges with egg mixture.
5. Fold over to form a triangle and then press edges together to seal.
6.Bring the two side edge corners of the triangle to the middle and press these together to form a ring.
7.Heat oil to 350 degrees in a large, heavy bottomed pan, sufficient to cover the wontons.
8.Fry wontons until golden, turning once, about 2-3 minutes.
9. To avoid lowering the temperature of the oil, do not attempt to fry too many at once.
10.Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and serve.

Make your own Wonton wraps

As convenient as it is to buy your wrappers, its not quite a pleasureable as makeing your own , so when you have finished your dish and served it you can say to your dinner guests, with hand on heart, I made those !!!!

Ingredients Makes about 25 wraps

1 egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
500g plain flour
80ml to 120ml water (or as needed)
extra flour as needed

Method

1.Lightly beat the egg with the salt then add 60ml water and beat in.
2.Meanhile sift the flour into a large bowl, form a well in the middle and add the egg and water mixture.
3.Combine this together then add just as much of the remaining water as necessary to form a dough.
4.Shape the dough into a ball, tip onto a lightly-floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until it forms a smooth, workable dough.
5.Return to the bowl, cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
6.Tip the the dough back onto the floured surface. Roll out until very thin, and cut into 8cm squares.
7.Sprinkle each square with cornflour (cornstarch) and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

How simple is that the key is to get the paste as thin as you can. The thinner the better !!

Sunday 29 November 2009

Some random photos of wontons











Saturday 28 November 2009

HOW TO FOLD SQUARE WONTONS

Wontons can be folded in a variety of shapes. The best way to fold wontons will depend on how they are going to be cooked, and the way they will be presented. Wontons served in soup should be folded as simply as possible. Wontons that will be steamed can be folded into simple designs, Fried wontons are the most versatile.
No matter how wontons will be cooked, they must be folded so the filling is sealed in the skin. If they are not properly sealed, the filling will leak out into the water or oil leaving you with empty wontons and a big mess. Traditionally, egg yolk is used to moisten the edges of wonton skins and seal them together.

1. Triangle
The most basic fold is a simple triangle. It is made by moistening two adjacent sides of the skin. Fold the skin in half, corner to corner, making a triangle. Seal. Several other shapes use the triangle as a base.

2. Crown
From a triangle, wontons can be folded into the crown shape often seen in restaurants. Simply moisten the tip of one corner of the folded edge and fold it towards the center of the triangle. Bring the other corner in to meet it, and press them together.

3. Three-point crown
This shape is also based on the triangle. Moisten a point about halfway up one sealed edge. Moisten the back of the same edge slightly lower than the spot on the front. Make an accordion fold in the edge and press to seal the fold. Repeat on the other sealed edge. This should make a wonton that has three points sticking up.

4. Flower
Moisten about two-thirds of two adjacent edges of an unfolded wonton skin, skipping the tips. Fold the skin in half, but adjust the tips so they are off center from each other. Moisten the inside edges, if needed, to cover any holes. The wonton should have six points in a rough fan shape.

5. Mini egg roll
To make your wonton look like a mini egg roll, begin by turning the skin so it resembles a diamond. Place the filling in a rough cylinder about two-thirds of the way to the tip nearest you. Fold that tip over the filling, allowing it to overlap onto the inside surface of the skin a little. Pull the corner and filling to you to tighten the roll. Fold the sides in, trying to keep them tight and even. Moisten the remaining inside edges. Roll the filling and folded edges towards the remaining tip, keeping the shape firm and even. Press the whole shape with your hands to seal. Allow it to rest on the outside sealed edge while making the rest of the wontons

The last three shapes described here are best suited for frying. They are more delicate than the other shapes, and may not stand up well to deep fryers. Instead, pan-fry them in oil deep enough to cover all but the very top of the wontons. Spoon hot oil over them to cook the tops.

6. Envelope
This fold is a bit harder to execute, and takes a little practice. Fold one tip of an unfolded skin over the filling in the center. This will be the bottom of the envelope. Moisten the adjacent edges of the side points. Fold them in, and press the moist edges onto the bottom of the envelope. The wonton should look like an open envelope. Moisten both edges of the top flap. Fold it down to overlap the sides and press to seal.

7. Purse
To make beautiful purses, draw a rough circle around the filling in the center of a wonton skin with a generous amount of yolk or water. Bring all the edges up, like a sack. Twist the edges gently, and press very firmly to seal.

8. Candy wrapper
To begin, place the wonton skin so that it is squared off to you. Place the filling in a rough cylinder about two-thirds of the way towards the bottom edge of the skin. Moisten a line along each side of the skin, about a half-inch from the edge. Fold the bottom edge of the skin over the filling, and pull it towards you lightly to tighten. Use your hands to make the roll even. Moisten the top edge of the skin. Roll the wonton into a cylinder, sealing along the top edge. Pinch each end of the cylinder at about the moistened line on the inside. Twist the ends gently, and press firmly to seal.

A SWEET WONTON !!


Wonton Sundaes
Ingredients

24 wonton wrappers
Refrigerated butter-flavored spray
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
500 g full fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50 g semisweet chocolate chips
50 g chopped pecans
24 maraschino cherries with stems

METHOD

1. Place wonton wrappers on a work surface;

2. Squirt with butter-flavored spray.

3. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over wontons.

4. Press into miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

5. Bake at 350° for 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned.

6. Immediately remove wonton cups to an ungreased baking sheet.

7. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until bottoms of cups are lightly browned.

8. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

9. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar until smooth.

10. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

11. Spoon into wonton cups.

12. Top each with a cherry.

Is anybody out there ??`


Or am I just amusing myself, not that it matters, it is nice to go over old recipes re-live them or just plain change them to suit todays current palette!!

SHRIMP WONTONS

Shrimp Wontons

Ingredients:

3/4 lb shrimp (shelled and deveined)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons corn starch
3 sprigs coriander (leaves only, minced)
2 water chestnuts, peeled and finely chopped
White pepper powder to taste
1/2 beaten egg (for sealing wontons)

Method

1.Coarsely chop shrimp into pieces (not too small) and mix well with the above seasonings. Set aside.
2. Fill each wonton skin with 1 heaping teaspoon of filling and seal the wonton skin with the beaten egg.
3.Boil the wontons in boiling water for a couple of minutes or until they start floating.
4. Serve hot with ginger vinegar dipping sauce and/or garlic chili sauce.

Ginger Vinegar Dipping Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons peeled, grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of dark vinegar
1 tablespoon of chopped scallion
Mix the above ingredients and set aside.

Garlic Chili Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves
8 dry red chilies (minced)
2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger
Salt to taste
Blend the above ingredients and stir fry them with oil until fragrant. Set aside.

Lobster And Crab Wonton

Ingredients

8 oz. lobster meat
8 oz. crab meat
1/3 cup onion, finely diced
1/3 cup celery, finely diced
1/3 cup carrot, finely diced
1 cup Napa cabbage, finely diced
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 pkt wonton sheets

Method

1. Combine all the ingriedients and leave for 12 hours
2. Fill each wonton sheet and fold remembering to wet the edges and seal properly.
3. Heat oil in a wok or skillet
4. Fry wontons until golden brown.
5. Serve with sweet chilli dipping sauce

Super easy recipe !!

WONTONS STUFFED WITH EGG.

Ingriedients

1 egg
8 wonton wraps
10 ml milk
5g butter
salt to taste
pepper to taste
oil for frying

Method
1. Make scrambled eggs allow to cool
2. Wet the edges of the wraps with water
3. Fill the wraps and seal them in
4. Fry until golden brown

Please feel free !

If you have any recipes you would like to share or comments you would like to make please feel free to add them to this blog , what I have discovered being a chef is you are always learning, you will never know it all !!!
STEAMED PORK & PRAWN WONTONS

Ingredients

· 175g minced pork
· 85g peeled prawns , thawed if frozen and finely chopped
· 2 spring onions , chopped small
· 2 fat garlic cloves , crushed
· 2 tsp grated root ginger or purée
· 2 tbsp oyster sauce
· 1 tsp sesame oil·
5 water chestnuts (from a can), drained and finely chopped·
about 36 wonton wrappers , 9cm square, thawed if frozen·
large lettuce leaves, or baking parchment, for steaming

METHOD

1. Mix together the pork, prawns, spring onions, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, oil and water chestnuts.
2. Peel off a wonton wrapper and, with a pastry brush, lightly brush round the outside with cold water. Place 1 tsp of mixture in the centre and scrunch up into a pouch, squeezing to seal. Do not overfill. Repeat until you have around 35-40. (These can be chilled for up to 1 hr on a tray lined with baking parchment.)
3. For the sauce, mix together the soy sauce, sherry and ginger in a small bowl. To steam, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Line a bamboo or metal steaming basket with lettuce leaves to fit.
4. Arrange half the pouches in the basket (without them touching), cover and steam for 5 mins. Remove with tongs to a platter and steam the rest - check the water level. Serve, sprinkled with spring onion or sesame seeds, with the bowl of sauce.

CREAM CHEESE WONTONS

CREAM CHEESE WONTONS

Ingredients

450g cream cheese
1 pkt wonton pastry
30g cajun spice (add this to suit your taste)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small sprig curly parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 egg
200g tomato salsa

Method

1.Remove the cream cheese from the fridge and allow to soften.
2.Finely chop the garlic & parsley. In a mixing bowl combine the garlic, parsley, Cajun spice and salt to taste and mix through well. Remember to taste the mixture.
3.Remove the wonton pastry from the plastic and cover with a damp cloth so they won’t dry out. 4.On each square put a teaspoonful of the cream cheese filling. Moisten the edge of pastry with a little egg wash, then fold all edges together and seal firmly. Place on a tray dusted with corn flour to prevent sticking.
5.Using hot oil heated in a Wok or skillet, fry a few at a time on medium heat until golden, then drain on paper towels.
6.To serve, spoon about 30g of the tomato salsa onto the plate or bowl. Then stack about 6 wontons on top of the bush tomato chutney and serve.

1st Recipe


Cream Cheese and Crab Wontons


A delicious appetizer with texture, colour, and a tremendous amount of flavor! The creaminess of the cream cheese blends well with the savory crab, and vegetables.


Ingredients
1 pkt medium square wonton wrappers
1 ½ pound king crab legs, cooked, de-shelled
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 jalapeno, de-seeded, finely diced
3 spring onion stems (green) finely chopped
10 oz cream cheese
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, enough to deep fry


Method
1.Heat enough oil in a wok or a skillet to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine crab meat, bell pepper, jalapeno, green onion, and cream cheese and mix until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Separate wonton wrappers into individual wrappers and place about a tablespoon into the center of each. Wetting your finger with water, trace around the outer edges of the wrapper and fold bottom right corner of wrapper up to top left corner of wrapper. This should create a triangle shape. Pinch every edge to make sure the wonton is sealed. Fill all wontons until you've used up the filling.

4. In a wok or skillet, deep fry the crab wontons until golden brown. Drain on several layers of paper towels. Garnish with green onions cut on a bias or finely diced bell pepper, and serve with a spicy chili dipping sauce.

The Perfect Wonton



Is there such a thing as the perfect wonton? There are so many different recipes out there you could be changing your mind for years to come !!


I have been a professional Chef for 25 years working mainly in the UK and for shorter periods of time countries on the continent and further a field, and i have come across an absolute mass of wontons recipes, so i have decided to put them down in one place and share them with you all !!