Thai Shrimp Wontons

More About This Recipe

• I first fell in love with Thai food when I was living in Bermuda, at a restaurant called Silk that I frequented often. It was not the most authentic Thai food, but it was a perfect blend of Thai and familiar flavors that a person needs when they first start trying Thai. I often got these little shrimp wontons as an appetizer and always wanted to try my hand at making them at home.
  
  The main difference between these and most wontons I have had is these were open on top. I’m not sure if this style affected the flavor at all, but what I did know was that they looked really cool! I was feeling a bit nostalgic for the warm evenings of alfresco dining on the Silk patio, so I whipped up a batch of these to bring me back.
  
  This is a paste of ginger, garlic, lemongrass, shallot, chile, vegetable oil, and fish sauce.
  
  The paste in with some diced up shrimp.
  
  Folding the wontons to be open at the top.
  
  Making these may seem like a project, but there is NOTHING like the satisfaction of having a table full of these ready to be put in the steamer.
  
  The dipping sauce was simple: some coconut milk, sambal, scallions, cilantro, and lime.
  
  Classy. These wontons were really tasty! I added a few extra chiles, and kept all the seeds in, so mine were really spicy! If you use the amount in the recipe, and leave out the seeds, they will have a mild-medium kick.
  
  This did the job of transporting me to those warm Bermuda nights! Now if it would just stop raining here in Boston!
  
  Dan Whalen sometimes thinks food is just as good as an aeroplane or time machine. Check out his blog at The Food in My Beard; check Dan’s Tablespoon profile often to try his recipes with creative international spins!