pumpkin, mascarpone & caramelized onion wontons

Wontons are a perfect appetizer for dinner parties. They’re easy to make and you can stuff them with practically anything from seasoned ground pork with vegetables, cheesy mixtures to fruit fillings. Our recipe of these savory cheesy fortune bags are great served with a citrusy sauce like raspberry puree, made from cooked raspberry with sherry, cinnamon, sugar and water. Cool the sauce, puree and pour into a squeeze bottle (see recipe below.) The wontons freeze well, so you can store the extra ones you’ve made to enjoy later. Dust the pie tins or dinner plates with flour before lining the wontons to prevent sticking. After the wontons are frozen, take them off the plates and store in heavy duty freezer bags. If you think 100 wontons are too much, scale down to 50 and just cut all ingredients to half. Happy Chinese New Year of the Dragon to all!

2 cups Mascarpone cheese
2 cups cream cheese
1 package fresh wonton skins (about 80-100 sheets)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium pumpkin
3 large red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
5 leaves sage, finely minced
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1/2 lemon
A pinch of sugar
Oil for frying
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Half the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet cut side up, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool, scoop out the roasted pumpkin and set aside.

In a sauté pan. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and throw in the diced onions and minced garlic. Season with salt & pepper and a pinch of sugar. Sauté until onions are caramelized and fragrant, about 6 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin, sautéed onions, minced sage, cheeses, cayenne, Tabasco, Worcestershire, lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients well together.

Wrap filling in traditional Chinese wonton skins. Deep fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and serve immediately.

Raspberry Sauce:

2 cups raspberry (fresh or frozen)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sherry
1 2″ cinnamon stick
2 cups water

In a sauce pan, bring all ingredients to a boil then immediately turn down to a very small simmer. Reduce to half, about 35 minutes. Watch it closely so you don’t burn the sauce.

Cool the raspberry sauce and purée in a blender. Pour the sauce in a squeeze bottle. Decorate the sauce over the plate in whatever fashion you’d like.

roast loin of pork with ancho chili & caramelized onion

1 pork loin, bone in (about 2.5 pounds, 5 bones)
2 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 1/2 cup good red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400° F / 200° C.

In a roasting pan, place the pork bone side down. Liberally season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil, rub 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, minced garlic and rosemary on top of the pork.

Roast in convection oven for 35 minutes or 45 minutes in a regular oven, until the internal temperature reaches 140° F / 60° C. Remove from oven and let stand, covered with aluminum foil for 15 minutes.

While pork loin is roasting in the oven.  In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat, caramelize sliced onions with 1 teaspoon sugar, salt & pepper until soft and golden brown. Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup red wine and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer, until the liquid is almost gone. Repeat with a second 1/2 cup red wine, reduce for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the last 1/2 cup red wine, reduce sauce to half and slightly thickened. Season with salt & pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove the bone from the roast pork loin. Slice roast pork, arrange on platter and serve with the warm onion reduction.

“Our market” at 328 Jianguo lu near Taiyuan lu. 嘉善菜场, 建国西路328号近太原路。We find the produce at this market fresher and better than most larger Chinese supermarkets in the area like Tesco and Carrefour.