Recipe Rursday: Mushroom Wontons

I've heard Alton Brown sing the praises of those little wonton wraps in the produce section, but my inspiration to make these wontons came from Smitten Kitchen (I always think it's Smitten Kitten) and her Lazy Girl's Wild Mushroom Wontons (an easier take on Gormet's Wild Mushroom Pierogies). Have I mentioned her beautiful recipe blog? I don't bake, but I read every post of her mostly-baking blog. In this instance she "cheats" with wonton skins, skipping the homemade peirogie recipe. I, of course, followed suit. These wontons take quite a bit of prep, but even Christopher agreed, "we should definitely make these again." Ours are sauteed until crispy, not fried (note: frying them would speed up the cooking time).Wild Mushroom Pirogies (ALTERED) or "A Lazy Girl's Wild Mushroom Wontons"
Gourmet, February 2001

For filling
1 cup boiling water
2/3 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 medium onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

(..we added a teaspone of red pepper flakes, b/c everything is better with).

For onion topping
1 lb onions, chopped
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Make filling: Pour boiling water over porcini in a small bowl and soak until softened,10 to 20 minutes. Lift porcini out of water, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and rinse well to remove any grit. Pour soaking liquid through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a bowl and reserve.

Finely chop onion and garlic in a food processor, then add cremini and porcini and pulse until very finely chopped.

Heat butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook mushroom mixture, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are dry and 1 shade darker, about 8 minutes. Add reserved soaking liquid and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick, dry, and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes (there will be about 1 cup filling). Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely.I cut the wonton wraps into squares (instead of making rounds) Put 1 teaspoon filling in center of each square. Working with 1 square at a time, moisten edges with water and fold in half to form a triangle, pinching edges together to seal. Transfer wontons as assembled to a flour-dusted kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining squares, then make more wontons with remaining dough and filling. Note Chris' excellent demo.Cook onions and wontons: Cook onions in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

If you're not making peirogies, you can skip the boiling process. Instead, Transfer wontons with a slotted spoon to skillet with onions. Cook until browned (resist moving them around...they'll tear). Serve immediately. The only thing I'd change for next time is to try frying them with Canola oil so that they crips quicker & maybe will absorb less oil. I also might start by stemaing them in a cup of vegetable stock. Without any changes, these were incredibly good, with crunchy skins and a strong, rich, mushroom flavored filling (Photos from 12/12/08).

Next Thursday - Gormet Ramen.