Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The Hawthornes Prepare Stuffed Wontons.

The Hawthornes have been doing a bit of entertaining lately.
 We're terribly popular, you know.
My stuffed and fried wontons have been consumed with gusto.
Here's what the little dumplings looked like
 before going into the fry pot.
 The dumplings were filled
with a delicately seasoned pork and shrimp mixture.
And here's what they looked like after a fry bath.
Serve with a dipping sauce and some hot mustard.
 Dipping sauce:
2 TB soy sauce
 1 TB rice vinegar
1 TB sriracha sauce
 minced pickled ginger
 minced cilantro, to taste
My ingredients for the filling:
6 ounces ground pork
 6 ounces shrimp
 2-3 TB minced water chestnuts
 2-3 TB minced celery
1-2 TB cilantro
minced ginger and juice (1-inch cube)
freshly ground salt & pepper
 a few drops of sesame oil
Mix all ingredients until well combined.
Always remember, these amounts are not etched in stone.
 I give you my permission to adjust for your own tastes.
 First, let's prepare the shrimp.
Peel and devein the shrimp. Make a shallow slit down the back and ...
... remove the vein.
Lots of times, I use a paper towel to pull out the vein.
The vein will stick to the paper towel and it's easier to pull out.

You want to make a shrimp paste,
 so take your cleaver and smash with the heel of your hand,
 then spread the shrimp.
Thusly.
Chop chop chop.
Mr. Hawthorne prepares the shrimp.
Chopchopchop the pork.
Basically, equal amounts pork and shrimp.
Maybe a little more pork than shrimp.
Mix well.
I took a one-inch cube of frozen ginger
and nuked it about 20 seconds.
 That way you can squeeze all the juice out.
 That little puddle above is all ginger juice.
Chopchopchop the ginger and ...
... add it to the mix.
I minced a little celery, some water chestnuts, and cilantro.
Add that to the pork and shrimp mix.
1 teaspoon each soy sauce, rice vinegar, and corn starch.
A few drops sesame oil.
Corn starch in.
A teaspoon soy sauce.
A teaspoon of rice wine.
Few drops of sesame oil.
Mix well.
Place a teaspoon of filling in center of wonton and wet the edges.
 Do not overstuff.
Pull corners up and press and seal into a triangle.
The only way I can show you how this takes shape ...

... is to show you the video of Mr. Hawthorne's folding technique.
Aren't these cute?
Little sailor hats.

Looks like little butt cracks to me.
Fry 3-4 minutes in 350-375 degree oil until crisp and golden.
Almost ready.
Drain on paper towels.
Stay tuned for Rosie's pot stickers.
Same ingredients.
 Different preparation/method.

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