cracked pepper

The name won ton means swallowing a cloud, and the wonton floating in this popular soup are thought to resemble clouds. This recipe for Won ton Soup serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

Won tons:

18 – 24 won ton wrappers

250g boneless lean pork, chopped finely

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

a few drops sesame oil

1 teaspoon sherry

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 green onion, finely minced

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 dashes of white pepper

Other:

Water for boiling won tons

4 1/2 – 5 cups chicken stock

green onion, thinly sliced, as desired

a few drops sesame oil (optional)

METHOD

Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Lay one won ton skin in front of you. Cover the remaining won ton skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.

Moisten all the edges of the won ton wrapper with water. Place a heaping teaspoon of won ton filling in the center.

Folding the wan tons: Fold the won ton wrapper in half lengthwise, making sure the ends meet. Press down firmly on the ends to seal. Use thumbs to push down on the edges of the filling to center it. Keeping thumbs in place, fold over the won ton wrapper one more time. Push the corners up and hold in place between your thumb and index finger. Wet the corners with your fingers. Bring the two ends together so that they overlap. Press to seal. The finished product should resemble a nurse’s cap. Repeat with remaining won tons.

There’s a fantastic “how-to” at about.com that demonstrates how to fold won tons – including pictures. Much easier to follow than this text description!

Alternate method: Place the teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and twist to seal. The final result should resemble a money bag or drawstring purse.

Boiling the won tons: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the won tons, making sure there is enough room for them to move about freely. Let the won tons boil for 5 – 8 minutes, until they rise to the top and the filling is cooked through. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon.

To make the soup: bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the won tons and bring the soup back to a boil. Add the green onion, remove the pot from the heat and add the sesame oil, stirring. Ladle into soup bowls, allowing 6 won tons per person.

This is such a staple of my Australian Christmas that I can’t imagine December 25th without it. You can either roll them in chocolate sprinkles (which is my preference) or extra shredded coconut. Serve on a platter with apricot balls (as pictured below).

INGREDIENTS

1 packet of Arrowroot Biscuits (another bland, sweet biscuit would do) 3 Tablespoons cocoa 1 cup of coconut 1 tin of condensed milk 3 Tablespoons of rum extra coconut, chocolate sprinkles or cocoa for rolling

METHOD

Mix together, roll into ball and toss in coconut. Refrigerate until firm.

This is one of the simplest recipes, and requires no actual cooking. Always a huge hit, especially at Christmas. Serve on a platter with chocolate rum balls.

Photographed with chocolate rum balls

INGREDIENTS

500g finely chopped dried apricots 2 cups coconut 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I like macadamias or almonds) 1 can condensed milk extra coconut for rolling

METHOD

Mix together and shape into balls. Roll in coconut. Refrigerate.

Originally another Hogmanay specialty of Scotland. Shortbread, baked until just a pale colour and crisp texture is an all time favourite at Christmas.

INGREDIENTS

250g butter 1/3 cup castor sugar 2 cups plain flour 1/2 cup rice flour or ground rice

METHOD

Have butter at room temperature. Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until combined. Add large spoonfuls of sifted flours to butter mixture, beating between additions. Press ingredients together gently, knead on lightly floured surface until smooth.

Shape the dough, using either of these methods:

• Divide dough into 2 portions. Shape portions into 18cm rounds; place on greased oven trays, mark into wedges, prick with fork. Pinch a decorative edge with floured fingers; or,
• Use star or Christmas tree cookie cutters to shape your dough. Decorate the trees, and points of the stars, with little metallic dragées.

Bake in a slow over about 30 minutes. Stand 10 minutes before transfering to wire rack to cool. Cut when cold. Store in airtight container when cold.

COMMENTS

I usually make up a couple of batches of these at Christmas, and distribute them to friends in decorated noodle boxes.

They really do need to be stored in the freezer, and exposure to air is their biggest enemy. Keep them sealed up at all times.

I dug up this recipe after an amazing take-out Chinese meal that I had recently. This version seems closest to the version that I ordered, and it’s very rich and aromatic.

via allrecipes (follow link to view this recipe with Imperial measurements)

INGREDIENTS

• 700g beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 8 broccoli florets, lightly steamed or blanched
• 2 cups oil for frying

METHOD

Lay beef strips out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Allow to dry in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice concentrate, salt and soy sauce. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add more water at the end if necessary.

Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Toss dried beef in cornstarch to coat. Fry in the hot oil in small batches until crispy and golden brown; set aside. Drain all of the oil from the wok except about 1 tablespoon.

Add orange zest, ginger and garlic to the remaining oil, and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, bring to a boil, and cook until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add beef, and heat through, stirring to coat. Serve immediately over steamed rice, and garnish with broccoli.

I’m terrible at keeping New Years resolutions, so I have cleverly called the things on my list “goals”. One of my goals for 2007 was to start a recipe book and start collating my favourite recipes. A short time later, I decided to do it online instead of in book form, so that I can share it with others and easily add photos to each entry.

So here it is, the beginnings of the Scarlet Words recipe book. I’ll be updating this with my favourite things, even the really basic stuff, so that I have all of my yummiest recipes in the one place.

Enjoy!