My enthusiasm for stuffing wonton wrappers has taken me from cheese and pumpkin ravioli to Chinese style fried wontons. What I’ve learned thus far is that deep frying stuffed store-bought wonton skins yields far better results that boiling them. Because they are so thin, they expand and cannot keep their shape in the process of boiling. Deep frying, meanwhile, turns them into crispy, golden pillows of delight. I have yet to use the simmer-then-pan-fry technique though, which may be the best of both worlds. If you have any expertise in this area, please share!

This foray into the wonton wrapper world (ugh, I’m afraid by the end of this post neither you or I will be able to stand the word wonton) has been, hands down, the most successful. For the filling, I literally threw in a bunch of stuff from my fridge and cabinets, and the results were spectacular.

Ingredients:

20-25 store-bought wonton wrappers

2 medium carrots, peeled shredded

About 1/2 c sweetened coconut flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 scallion, chopped

1 tsp yellow curry powder

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp corn starch

1 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 egg, beaten

Vegetable oil, for frying

Procedure: Combine all ingredients from carrots through soy sauce in a bowl.

Pour about one inch of oil into frying pan and place over medium heat. While it heats up, start to form the pockets. Working with one skin at a time, lay it flat and place about 1 tbsp of filling in the center. Brush the side that is furthest from you with egg, as well as the top two thirds of the right and left sides. Roll/fold, starting from the bottom, to form pocket. Press down to seal the sides and seal the back. Repeat with remaining skins. Place 6-8 pockets into oil at once and fry about 2 min per side.

Final results should be golden brown, not dark. Drain on paper towels. Serve with hoisin sauce.

I call these pockets because I didn’t want to wrap them in the traditional wonton shape. Served with hoisin sauce for dipping, this recipe makes for the best party appetizer.