Salmon Wontons

Photo: flickr user i'm george

Ingredients

12 fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms

1 pound salmon fillet skin and bones

removed

1 pkt wonton wrappers - (12 oz)

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

cup cilantro leaves - (loosely packed)

1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with

1 tablespoon water plus extra

Cornstarch for dusting

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon slivered ginger

4 garlic cloves chopped

1 medium red bell pepper cored, seeded

and cut into 2" long matchsticks

1 small can baby corn on the cob - (5 ½ oz) drained

3 green onions thinly sliced

on the diagonal

cup chopped cilantro or slivered basil

cup mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)

2 tablespoons soy sauce/ preferably reduced-sodium

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Preparation

Seafood Alternatives: shrimp, crabmeat, surimi crab If using dried mushrooms, soak them in hot water until tender, about 20 minutes. Gently squeeze the mushrooms to remove excess water. Remove the tough stems from the fresh or dried mushrooms, sliver the caps and set aside.

Stir together the sesame sauce ingredients and set aside.

Cut the salmon into 1 1/2-inch squares. Any squares thicker than 3/4 inch should be sliced in half; save these thin slices to stack and use together.

Place one piece of salmon in the center of a wonton wrapper and season lightly with salt and pepper. Lay a cilantro leaf flat on top of the salmon. Brush the wrapper edges with the cornstarch mixture. Set another wonton wrapper on top and press around the edges to seal well, pressing out excess air. If you like, trim the edges with a ravioli cutter, making scalloped edges. Set the prepared wontons on a baking sheet dusted with cornstarch. Repeat with the remaining salmon.

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large, wide pan.

While the water is coming to a boil, heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add half the sesame sauce (about 1/4 cup) with the mushrooms, bell pepper and corn; stir until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Take from the heat and stir in the green onions and chopped cilantro.

When the water boils, gently but quickly lower 5 to 6 of the wontons into the water with a slotted spoon or metal spatula and simmer just until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Lift the wontons out with a slotted spoon and drain well. Continue with the remaining wontons.

Divide the wontons among individual plates. Spoon the vegetable mixture over and drizzle with the remaining sesame sauce.

This recipe yields 4 to 8 servings.

Comments: Don't worry about all your wontons looking exactly alike - what's most important is that each piece of salmon is the same thickness so they all cook evenly. For a variation, you can make triangular wontons by cutting across the wonton skins and salmon squares to form triangles before assembling them.