Lamb Wontons

A flavorful follow-up to the King Crab Wontons. BTW, these were a big hit at our family Holiday shindig!

INGREDIENTS

24 Wonton Wrappers
1/2 Pound of Ground Lamb
1 Tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Ground Chili Paste Oil
1 tsp Fresh Ginger, finely grated
1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
1 1/2 Cups of Vegetable Oil

RECIPE

Place all ingredients (except wrappers, corn starch, and oil) in a mixing bowl and combine well. I like using a zig-zag wire potato masher for this job.

Split corn starch evenly and spread onto two plates.

Set up your work station with a clean prep plate, small bowl of room temp water, wonton wrappers and bowl of lamb mixture all within easy reach.
HINT: Have a paper towel handy to dry your prep plate in between each wonton that is formed.
Position a single wonton wrapper on the prep plate. Place 1/2 of a tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of the wrapper.

Wet your finger with water and moisten two adjacent edges of the wonton wrapper. Then, diagonally fold the dry edges over onto the wet edges and firmly seal together with your finger. Finally, moisten two opposite corners, fold and seal together. Ta Dah! You have just made a “Bishop’s Hat” wonton!!
NOTE: No, that is not the Lamb filling you see in the picture. I just stole this pic series from the King Crab Wonton recipe since the process is exactly the same. Just too lazy to re-shoot it, I guess. 😉

Place completed wonton onto corn starch plate.
HINT #2: Try experimenting with different shapes of wonton. For example, you can position the wrapper as a rectangle, moisten the edges along the top half, then fold and seal lengthwise. Pinch the ends and make a “George Washington’s Hat” (pictured below with Bishop’s Hats). Just be sure all edges are well sealed.

When all wontons have been made, cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 15 minutes. This helps them retain their shape when placed in hot oil.
HINT #2: If 24 wontons are too many for your immediate needs, before cooking, just place the extras in a container and freeze until ready for use at a later date.
Heat oil in a wok, stir fry pan or large sauce pan. Place 5-6 wontons in oil and cook until edges start to turn golden brown.

Then gently flip them over with a slotted spoon and continue to cook until entire wonton starts to turn golden brown. Gently remove wontons from oil with slotted spoon and place on plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Continue process until all wontons are cooked. Let stand 2 minutes, then serve with Plum Sauce and/or Duck Sauce.

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cook Time = 15-20 minutes
Makes 24 Wontons

©2009 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.