Shrimp Pot Stickers with Ginger-Lemon Sauce
& Tabasco Beurre Blanc over Flounder (January 25, 2010)
Quite the combination, right?!
I've been waiting and waiting to make the Pot Stickers for some time now (it seems whenever the mood strikes me, so does the realization that a sleeping baby and a food processor don't mix).
As for the Tabasco Beurre Blanc, Andrew was the first to show interest in making it. I'm almost 100% sure we first heard mention of it on Top Chef, at least two years ago.
Since then the phrase "Beurre Blanc," written on an old paper napkin ring, has traveled around our kitchen, in and out of drawers, and even survived our move into a new place. It seems we were both determined to get to it "one day."
I've been waiting and waiting to make the Pot Stickers for some time now (it seems whenever the mood strikes me, so does the realization that a sleeping baby and a food processor don't mix).
As for the Tabasco Beurre Blanc, Andrew was the first to show interest in making it. I'm almost 100% sure we first heard mention of it on Top Chef, at least two years ago.
Since then the phrase "Beurre Blanc," written on an old paper napkin ring, has traveled around our kitchen, in and out of drawers, and even survived our move into a new place. It seems we were both determined to get to it "one day."
Ginger-Lemon Sauce
(all credit to the tasteofhome.com, 2009)
The Recipe3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 Tbsp. barbecue sauce 1 tsp. ginger, freshly grated 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil 1 scallion, thinly sliced Whisk lemon juice, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, ginger and sesame oil. Stir in scallion. My Notes:I used that plastic lemon filled with lemon juice that you find in the produce section at your grocery store. This sauce was delicious, I can only imagine what fresh lemon juice would do!
As my skills as a professional chef are...still developing, I actually didn't grate the fresh ginger (the most impossible food to peel and clean and chop and...). Instead, I finely chopped it. It seemed to work well since this was a dipping sauce and there was no danger of eating a hunk of ginger. Lastly, I'm happy I made the sauce ahead of time. I tasted it when it was freshly made and later at dinner. The "pow" of the soy sauce was much more balanced and all flavors seemed to mix well when it was given more time. |
Shrimp Pot Stickers
(all credit to the tasteofhome.com, 2009)
The Recipe1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined
1/4 C. scallions, thinly sliced 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black peper 24 to 30 round wonton (or gyoza) wrappers 4 Tbsp. canola oil In a food processor, pulse shrimp until ground. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add scallions, egg, salt and pepper. Place 1 level tsp. shrimp mixture onto each wonton wrapper. Brush edge with water and fold into a half moon to seal. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the dumplings seam side up and cook 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and let steam 3 to 4 minutes. Cook the dumplings a few minutes longer with the lid off if they are sticking to the pan. Repeat with other half of the dumplings. My Notes:First, the wonton wrappers that I bought (found in the produce section of my local grocery store) were not round and the pack came with approximately 45 wrappers. So, I doubled the recipe. I had a little stuffing left over, which I just fried up and ate with a little sauce (NOTE: I did not double the sauce. We could have easily eaten more, but had I doubled that recipe, there would have be so much excess).
It's probably obvious, but I didn't use a brush, just the tips of my fingers and a small bowl of water while I stuffed and sealed the wrappers. I decided to use 2 skillets because there were going to be so many. I used the first skillet to "fry" and the second skillet to "steam." I was able to create a mini assembly line, doing batches of about 7 at a time. They cook really quickly, even when I turned the heat down (good news is, you couldn't taste the "well-done" in those that were overly browned). Although it only suggests steaming with the lid off if they're sticking, I'll probably try it on my next batch to see if they turn out a little crisper. Be prepared-They are dangerously good! |
Tabasco Beurre Blanc
(inspired by Top Chef and Tabasco.com's Lime-Cilantro Buerre Blanc)
The Recipe1/2 C. Scallions, chopped
1/2 C. White Wine 1/2 C. Heavy Cream 1 1/4 C. Butter, cut into small pieces 1+ Tbsp. Tabasco (to taste) Salt & Pepper to taste In a skillet, cook scallions and wine over medium heat. Reduce to about 1 1/2 Tbsp. Add heavy cream and Tabasco, cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add butter, one piece at a time, while whisking. One thickened, remove from heat, strain scallions, season. Spoon on plate & over meat. My Notes:I took what I thought to be the "core" of a beurre blanc from Tabasco.com (the Lime-Cilantro Buerre Blanc).
The white wine we chose was a Lindemans Chardonnay. The fruit flavors are what initially attracted me. As you can see by the pictures, I did not strain the scallions from the sauce (didn't have the right tools). I would recommend straining, mostly because the scallions have been exhausted by the point you're ready to serve and there's nothing left for them to give but a dull green color. I did not end up seasoning (salt or pepper) the sauce. I did, however, pepper the Flounder as I was baking it. And, speaking of flounder, if I were to choose a fish in the future to accompany this sauce, it would be one with a stronger flavor. My impression was that the white wine was strong enough to overpower the light flavor of Flounder. I used about 2 Tbsp of tabasco. As strange as it may sound, I was measuring by smell. In the end, there wasn't much heat, but a great balance of flavor between the wine and the tabasco. Lastly, reheating the left over sauce is extremely easy. It's simple enough to grab a tablespoon and dollop the top of a cold piece of fish (or Chicken...not too bad with chicken) and reheat. |