I loves parties because there are usually appetizers there. Miniature in size, but big in flavor, I love getting one or two bites of goodness. The cream cheese avocado wonton is a classic. The wonton itself is a pleasant bite, but the cilantro lime dipping sauce is where you get the big punch. Full of flavor and sure to please!
Ingredients
Wontons
2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
1 package cream cheese (12 oz)
2 ripe avocados, peeled, seed removed, and diced
1 package won ton wrappers
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, lightly beatened
Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, juiced
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together cilantro lime dipping sauce ingredients. Set aside.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat (should reach 350 degrees).
3. While oil heats up, whip the cream cheese with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth. Add in the diced avocado and gently fold in with a spoon.
4. Lightly brush both sides of the wonton wrapper with the egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon water). Put about a teaspoon of the avocado cream cheese filling in the center of each wonton. Fold the wonton wrappers in half, forming a triangle, and seal the edges. Fold the very ends of each point of the triangle over.
5. Fry wontons in the hot oil 4 at a time until golden brown. This will only take about a minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the golden brown wontons from the oil and put on paper towels.
6. Divide the dipping sauce into individual bowls and serve with hot wontons.
Frying can be intimidating. For several years I carried a few oil burn marks on my wrist from a pumpkin scone mishap where I got splashed with overly hot oil. So I know all about how frying can be intimidating. Here are four tricks I've found useful over the years:
1. Watch your oil temperature. Use a candy thermometer if you have one. If not then be sure to keep adjusting the temperature. Once you can smell the oil and a drop of water goes bizerk when dropped in the oil then turn the heat down a couple notches and just try and maintain the temperature. Letting the oil overheat is dangerous!
2. Put the oil in the bottom of a saucepan with tall sides. This will let the oil pop and splash onto the sides of the pan, not on you or near any flames.
3. Carefully lower your items to be fried into the oil. Never drop them because they will splash and you could end up with burn scars to match mine.
4. With wontons, be sure to seal each one completely so that the filling cannot escape. Make sure there are no air pockets. If the filling escapes through a poor seal or when an air pocket bursts you'll get an annoying splattery mess when the filling hits the oil.
Happy frying!
