Wonton skins (Recipe: asparagus wonton wraps with hoisin, wasabi or mustard filling) {vegetarian}
For several years, I've been toying with this idea for a cooking class:
101 Things to Do with Wonton Skins.
In typical compulsive-planner fashion, I've been making lists, taking notes and collecting recipe ideas, but I'm still a bit shy of 101 ways to use this versatile ingredient that's always in my pantry.
Dumplings, potstickers, ravioli, nacho-type chips, samosas, mini eggrolls, soup noodles, empanadas, pierogi, little cups for ice cream, bonbon wrappers, pizza rolls, Napoleons, doll house roof shingles...
Help! When I get to 101 things, I'll put the class on my calendar, so please share the wonderful and creative ways you use wonton skins in your own kitchen.
What are wonton skins?
Very thin pieces of dough, made from flour, water, eggs and salt, cut into 3- or 4-inch squares. Also called wonton wrappers. Each square holds one tablespoon of filling.
How/where to store:
In the refrigerator. After you open the original package, store leftovers in a ziploc bag. Can be frozen.
More facts about wonton skins, and ingredient photos, on The Perfect Pantry:
Wonton skins (Recipe: wonton skin soup)
Asparagus wonton wraps with hoisin, wasabi or mustard filling
Updated from a recipe first published here in September, 2006. These crispy, crunchy appetizers are fast and easy, salty or spicy, and positively addictive. Serve them with or without sweet-salty-spicy sushi sauce. Makes 24.
Ingredients
12 medium-thick asparagus spears, bottom woody ends trimmed
3 cups canola oil, for deep frying
48 square wonton skins
2-3 Tbsp (or more as needed) of your filling of choice: hoisin sauce, wasabi mayonnaise, Dijon or hot Chinese mustard
Small bowl of water (1/2 cup)
Directions
Cut each asparagus spear in half crosswise.
In a deep pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
While the oil is heating, form the wonton wraps: Place two wonton skins on a work surface, keeping remaining skins covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying out. Lightly dab the center of one skin with a small drop of filling. Wet the tip of your finger, and run it around the edge of the wonton. Place the second skin on top, and press down lightly to spread the filling and seal the two wontons together.
Place one piece of asparagus diagonally across one corner of the wonton skin "sandwich". Roll the wonton around the asparagus, allowing one end to protrude. Just before you get to the end, dab some water on the wonton to seal it when you finish the roll. Repeat with remaining wonton skins, filling, and asparagus.
Test the oil by standing a bamboo chopstick upright in the pot. If small bubbles appear at the base of the chopstick, the oil is hot enough. Using a wire mesh skimmer or slotted spoon, lower 5 or 6 wontons into the pot. Fry until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate covered with paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining wonton wraps. Serve hot.
More ways with wontons:
Chocolate-banana ravioli, from The Perfect Pantry
Shrimp potstickers, from The Perfect Pantry
Curried chicken wontons, from The Perfect Pantry
Apple pie wontons with peach chutney, from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Jalapeño and cream cheese filled wontons, from Life's Ambrosia
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excellent recipe, Lydia! I'm loving this and will be using it often.
Those wraps are so pretty, and oh so tempting!
I have a couple of Indian ideas for you: fry the skins and use them for sev puri (an Indian snack/street food). Or fill them with coconut-poppy seed- jaggery and steam them to make karanjis.
Here in the mid-west, they have something called crab rangoon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_rangoon) which uses the unlikely combination of crab, cream cheese and wonton skins!
There's something about wrapping asparagus spears that has always intriqued me. I remember trying a recipe for asparagus wrapped in phyllo dough, but I did something wrong and it was a doughy mess. This looks absolutely mouthwatering, and I actually understand the instructions, which was part of the problem with the previous recipe!
I love your idea for a list. I always have a pack (or two!) of wontons shoved somewhere in my fridge.
Never thought of wrapping wonton skins around food lengthwise like that. Brilliant idea, and I bet they taste wonderful.
My sister makes a fairly traditional wonton with ground pork, finely chopped cabbage, green onion, and some kind of spicy sauce; everyone in our family gobbles these up when she makes them for our annual Christmas party.
They make good ravioli, just use your favorite filling in them, seal and cook as usual.
Cut into strips for noodles in chicken broth.
Fill with fruit pie filling, seal and deep fry.
They might even be good for WonTons :)
Is that green onion tops that you used to garnish? It is pretty.
Have not tried either of these two recipes yet, but they look interesting for your project:
Wonton Banana Dumplings
24 wonton wrappers
2 bananas
3 TB brown sugar
2 TB flour
1 TB water
oil for frying
icing sugar (powdered or 10X sugar)
optional: caramel sauce and ice cream
Place 12 wonton wraps on a board. Slice each banana diagonally into 6 pieces and place 1 slice banana on each wrapper and sprinkle with brown sugar. Mix together the flour and water to form a paste. Brush a small amount of paste around the edges of the wrappers. Top with remaining wrappers and press edges to seal. Let dry for a few minutes before deep frying in hot oil until golden. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle wontons with icing (powdered) sugar or serve warm with ice cream and/or caramel sauce.
Mini Tacos
24 wonton wrappers
1 lb. hamburger
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa or picante sauce
3 TB salsa
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)
sour cream (opt)
olives (opt)
guacamole (opt)
Cook hamburger until browned; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and 1/2 cup salsa or picante sauce. Simmer 3-5 minutes.
Press wrappers into 24 mini muffin cups. Spoon beef mixture into cups and top with the 3 TB salsa and the grated cheese, evenly divided. Bake in a preheated 425F oven for 8 minutes or until the wontons are nicely browned. Serve with extra salsa, sour cream, olives and guacamole if desired.
Makes 24 mini tacos.
Souorce: Recipezaar
You fried these perfectly. Golden-brown, small bubbles in the dough, love them.
I would nevrr have thought of some of these ideas for those wontons in my freezer Lydia.
These look great! I can't imagine mine would look so perfect, I can make food taste awesome but it doesn't always look the prettiest.
Anh, I can't wait to see what wonderful variations you come up with for these wontons.
Nupur, I love the ideas for Indian treats. I'm adding those to my list (and I'll bet I can find recipes on your blog). Crab rangoon is also on menus at Chinese restaurants here in Rhode Island. It's not to my taste, I must admit.
TW, I've heard that asparagus wrapped in proscuitto is delicious (I'm not a pork person). These wontons combine crispy with crunchy, and the asparagus are more warmed than cooked -- an amazing combination.
Pam, I always have some, too. I love finding new ways to use them.
Kalyn, they taste too wonderful! I can't make them often, because honestly, I could sit and eat an entire plate of them.
Barb, it's actually the peels of asparagus spears that I cooked on the grill. We tossed the peels with rice vinegar and made a little salad. It was delicious.
Teresa, thanks so much. I've posted a banana wonton recipe here, but not quite like this recipe, and the mini tacos are definitely going on the list.
Peter, thank you. These are so easy to make.
Valli, I'm determined to get to 101 ideas!
Maris, it's fun to make these when you have a few friends over who like to cook. Then, if the wontons don't look beautiful, you can blame your friends! (I'm kidding, of course.)
How original! Wontons wrapped around asparagus is a great idea! sounds simple too!
Oh yum! Two of my favorite things in one dish - asparagus and wasabi mayo. This also seems like great picnic food. I kept looking for easy asparagus recipes as asparagus are plentiful right now and I am taking full advantage of that. And this one will happen very soon and I will make all the filling choices here. What a genius idea!
yum!!! I always want to try these "frying" recipes but I have one stupid question that stops me.....what to do with the oil when you are done? how can it be disposed? I never knew, so I never fry!
Anyone?
(I would just be frying in a pan - no fry daddy junior here.)
I would like to share a recipe for a Brazilian delicacy called "pasteis"
I often use won ton skins to prepare them, instead of making the dough from scratch.
here is a link for those interested
http://bewitchingkitchen.com/2010/04/09/memories-of-pasteis/
Taste of Beirut, this really is easy, especially if you have friends to help with the assembly.
Elaine, I think these would work for a picnic, though I wouldn't make them too far ahead of time or they'll get a bit soggy. Then again, they would probably be delicious anyway!
Carol, I put the used oil back in an empty bottle, and stick it in the freezer. Then I put it out with the trash.
Sally, I'm definitely adding pasteis to my 101 list. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe.
Oh, I understand. I never had problems with frying wonton wrapped rolls ahead of time. After frying, I usually place them immediately on a vertical position or wrap them with the kitchen towel to drain the oil to prevent them from becoming soggy. :)
oh you clever you. nice and thin and bite sized eh? dangerous for sure. i can see why they are highly addictive. i did a nutella one w/ banana once. so so good.
I'll be thankful if anyone tell me the recipe of wonton wrappers
ever make chilie rellanos?
stuff the chili then wrap it in a wonton or egg roll wrap and fry...
These sound fantastic!
These look absolutely fantastic. I'm always looking for new and interesting asparagus recipes. But I've been trying to find wonton skins in the grocery store for months, no luck! As soon as I find them, I'm going to go crazy and make a ton of different things, including these!
Great Idea...love this presentation!
Have you thoughts about how to do this via baking instead of frying? Thanks.
Caran, I'm not a big frying person, but for these, frying is very quick and gives the wonton skins the crisp contrast with the asparagus inside. You could surely bake them; they just wouldn't be quite the same as mine.