Edamame and sour cream ‘wontons’ with chicken broth.
A year and a half ago, I was invited to cook a guest chef dinner in Tokyo. On the day of the dinner, the supplier failed to deliver the main ingredient for one of the courses I was planning – I had to improvise. Rummaging around the restaurant's freezer, I came across some frozen edamame beans that employees had stored away for a staff meal.
This dish is what I came up with in the rather hectic hours leading up to service. It went over well with the guests, and ended up being a lovely way to use up that great pariah of a self-respecting chef's kitchen: frozen vegetables. This dish comes together very quickly if you have some chicken stock lying around. It's comforting without being heavy, and is particularly well suited to these spring months, which tease us with warmth with- out actually delivering. This dish makes more wontons than you need; lay extras out on parchment paper and freeze them for later use.
Servings: 4
Edamame and sour cream "wontons" with chicken broth
1 pound edamame beans, frozen, shelled, cooked in simmering water for 10 minutes
1⁄4 cup water
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1⁄2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 green onion, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 package of wonton wrappers
3 cups chicken stock, good quality and nicely seasoned
8 to 10 celery leaves
Method
In a food processor, blend edamame and drizzle in water and olive oil until a thick paste is formed. Spoon into a bowl and fold in sour cream, salt, green onion, garlic and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Lay out 8 to 10 wonton wrappers. Spoon a generous teaspoon of filling in the middle of each one. Dab the edges of the wontons with some water. Place a second wonton wrapper on top of the bottom one, covering up the filling. Firmly pinch down the sides of the wontons so that they are firmly sealed and there is no air left in the little packages. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and repeat with the rest of the filling and wrappers.
Heat the chicken stock up in a pot. Bring to a simmer and carefully place 8 to 12 wontons in the stock. They are very delicate, so be sure to avoid boiling them. Cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes until wrappers are cooked and the filling is warmed through. Ladle soup into serving dishes and garnish with a little bit of celery leaf.