the wait

“So, what do you think of the Pho?” D asked. We sat across from each other at the newly opened Pho Noodle Shop. The Pho craze spread as far as our rural neighborhood. There must be something to this dish.

I dipped a small ladle into the bowl of steaming vegetable noodle soup.

“Kind of bland,” I replied. I pushed through a tangle of bean sprouts and squeezed a few more drops of sriracha hot chili sauce on top. The broth was flat, even with the added spice. So I poured on soy sauce hoping for more flavor depth. Better, not great.

That was two years ago. We went through a dry pho spell. Until this past week.

I cooked a pot of Jaden’s homemade Vietnamese pho, and I must admit, it was worth the wait.

For the second Daring Cooks’ challenge, I made a yogurt chip napoleon. Layer one fried wonton wrapper with whipped homemade yogurt cheese, vanilla bean, lemon juice, honey, and shaved chocolate with almonds, add a second fried wonton and repeat. Garnish it with powdered sugar and plain dark chocolate shavings. It’s a twist on the challenge that tastes like a deconstructed vanilla chocolate chip yogurt cone. Ahh, summer.

Challenge #2: Chocolate Wontons

Recipe Source: Jaden of Steamy Kitchen from her new book The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.

Equipment:

• Small bowl
• Pastry brush
• Plastic wrap and/or damp paper towels
• Wok or medium-sized pot
• Frying thermometer (if you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the oil temperature by dropping in a cube of bread … if it browns quickly, the oil is ready)

Preparation time: 15 minutes + 15 minutes cooking time (for 12 wontons)

Servings: Makes 12 wontons.

Ingredients:

1 large egg
1 tbsp. water
12 wonton wrappers, defrosted (keep wrappers covered with damp towel)
12 pieces or nuggets of chocolate (use any type of chocolate you like)
High-heat oil for frying (i.e., vegetable oil, corn oil)
Confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar) for sprinkling

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to make an egg wash.
2. On a clean, dry surface lay 1 wonton wrapper down with a point toward you, like a diamond.
3. Place 1 piece of chocolate near the top end of the wrapper.
4. Brush a very thin layer of the egg wash on the edges of the wrapper.
5. Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper up to create a triangle and gently press to remove all air from the middle. Press the edges to adhere the sides. Make sure the wrapper is sealed completely.
6. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and chocolate pieces.
7. Keep the folded chocolate wontons covered under plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying.
8. In a wok or medium pot, pour in 2 inches (5 cm.) of high-heat oil.
9. Heat the oil to 350º F (180º C) and gently slide a few of the chocolate wontons into the hot oil. Make sure you don’t crowd the chocolate wontons.
10. Fry the wontons for 1 ½ minutes, then flip over and fry another minute until both sides are golden brown and crisp.