Won Ton Mistakes and Dipping Sauces that Forgives All

It’s been a while since I’ve encountered a cooking mishap that infuriates me. What did I do wrong? Is this even edible? And most importantly, is this blog worthy? The first two questions are ones I can answer myself; the answer to the third is “of course!” My mistake is one that I hope no one else encounters. After all, the moniker My Burning Kitchen didn’t come out of nowhere.

Enter a box of Thai and Malaysian sauces from WorldFoods and a challenge to incorporate them into a dish. California teammates which include Mary from This Tasty Life, Stephanie from Easier Simplier Better, Lauren from Only Crazy People Live in L.A. and Alex from Ma, What’s for Dinner? have been assembled to create dishes these sauces. The pressure is definitely on.

Out of the gate, I wanted do incorporate a dish with won tons and shrimp. I chose two of the sauces from World Foods to accompany my won tons: Sweet Chili Coconut (my favorite) and Sweet Chili with Kaffir Lime.

My idea for a dish was something simple to allow the sauce to shine through: shrimp purses. But my fear of deep-frying combined with healthy choices led me to bake them. That was the start and end of a truly bad decision. I am now convinced when dealing with won ton wrappers, they should either be 1) steamed, 2) used in soups or 3) fried in oil. I really should have gone down one of those routes but what I got instead was a sad mess. But they were still edible when paired with the two great dipping sauces.

In any case, here is a tried and true version of shrimp purses.

Shrimp Purses

Serves approximately 4-6 people as appetizers

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package square won ton wrappers
Vegetable oil

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.

Add green onions, garlic and sauté until onions begin to soften.

Add shrimp and until cooked. Remove from heat. Stir in minced cilantro, parsley and lemon juice. Season filling with salt and pepper. Set aside and cool slightly.

On a flat surface, take one won ton wrapper and add a teaspoon of filling. Wet the edges of the won ton, connecting corners and pinching at the top. Continue to fill won ton wrappers until all the filling is used up. Alternatively, you can also just fold over the corners making a triangle but I guess it would not be a purse.

Heat a large flying pan or wok over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil until hot. Add a shrimp purses at a time frying until lightly brown. Drain on paper towels and serve with dipping sauce.