Beggars Purses Food

BEGGARS PURSES

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except the wonton wrappers. cover cookie sheets with tin foil and set the oven to 375 degrees
• 2. place the wonton wrappers out on a work surface and get a small bowl of water. Place a dollop of the mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper. Do not over stuff or it will burst in the oven.Put your fingers in the water and go along the outsides of the wonton wrappers with water.
• 3. place on cookie sheet as they are closed.
• 4. Put in the oven and cook until the wontons are golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately, but they are great at room temperature as well.

BEGGARS' PURSES

Steps:

• Make crêpe batter:
• Melt butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and set aside 2 tablespoons for cooking crêpes. Continue to cook butter remaining in skillet until it has a nutty fragrance and is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Blend brown butter with remaining crêpeingredients, except chives, in a blender until smooth. Add chives and pulse 1 or 2 times to just combine. Let batter stand 30 minutes.
• Blend brown butter with remaining crêpe ingredients, except chives, in a blender until smooth. Add chives and pulse 1 or 2 times to just combine. Let batter stand 30 minutes.
• Blanch whole chives:
• Blanch chives in a small saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds. Drain and plunge into an ice bath. Pat dry.
• Make crêpes:
• Lightly brush skillet with butter, then heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir batter. With skillet off heat, add a scant 1/4 cup batter, tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. (If batter sets too fast, reduce heat slightly.) Cook until golden around edges, 15 to 30 seconds. Loosen with a heatproof plastic spatula, then flip crêpe over with your fingertips. Cook until underside is set, about 30 seconds. Slide onto a plate. Make more crêpes, brushing skillet with butter and stacking crêpes on plate.
• Assemble purses:
• Top each crêpe, browned side up, with about 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream and 2 teaspoon caviar. Gather crêpe around filling and tie 1 or 2 blanched chives in a knot to close purse. Trim ends of chives if necessary.

SMOKED SALMON BEGGARS PURSES

Steps:

• Split leek in half lengthwise. Rinse under cold water to remove any dirt, remove the white bottom end and peel the layers apart. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the leeks to the boiling water and cook for about 20 seconds, remove and plunge into the ice water to cool. Remove leeks to a tray lined with a paper towel to dry. When dry cut each leek layer lengthwise in strips about 1/8-inch thick and reserve.
• In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, salt and pepper. In another small bowl whisk together the eggs and milk until well combined. Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture, whisking to prevent lumps, being careful not to overwork. In a small saute pan melt the butter until lightly browned and mix into the batter along with the chopped chives. Let batter rest while you make the filling.
• In a medium mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients for the filling, folding salmon in last and mix until just combined.
• Melt a small amount of the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 ounces, about 1/4 cup, of the crepe batter to the hot skillet. Remove from the heat and tilt slightly to coat the entire pan evenly with batter. Return to the heat and cook until lightly browned on the bottom side, about 50 to 60 seconds. Using your fingertips or a rubber spatula, carefully turn the crepes over and cook on the second side for 10 to 15 seconds. Set the cooked crepe aside on a baking sheet to cool and repeat this process with the remaining batter. Should make 8 crepes.
• When the crepes are cool lay out on a flat surface and with a spoon place some of the smoked salmon mixture in the center dividing evenly among the crepes. Pull the crepe together to form a little purse and tie the top of the crepe with one of the blanched leek strips. Serve 1 or 2 per person.

GALAKTOBOUREKO BEGGAR'S PURSES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, scald milk and unsalted butter over medium-high heat, 5 to 6 minutes. Slowly whisk in Cream of Wheat. Lower heat to medium, and cook, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly add eggs; continue to cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture begins to thicken, 7 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar and vanilla; stir, and cook 10 to 12 minutes, until custard has a porridgelike consistency. Let cool.
• Carefully unroll phyllo. Immediately cover it with plastic wrap and then a damp towel. Keep phyllo covered as you work.
• Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface. Lightly brush phyllo with melted butter; place another sheet on top, and brush with butter; place a third sheet of phyllo on top, and brush with butter. Cut into four rectangles. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the custard in center of a rectangle. Gather and pinch pastry around custard, forming a purse shape with a ruffled top. Place in a muffin tin so it retains its shape while others are formed. Repeat entire process with remaining phyllo and custard, making a total of 24.
• Transfer purses to a parchment-lined baking sheet; brush sides of purses with melted butter. Bake until flaky and golden brown, 27 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• While pastries are baking, place remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool. Drizzle syrup over warm pastries.

CHICKEN AND LEEK BEGGARS PURSES

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients for the crepe recipe, excluding the oil, in a bowl and whisk until smooth. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream. Adjust with flour or water. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes before making crepes. Coat a crepe pan or saute pan with oil. Add enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook until the edges begin to curl and flip over for a few seconds to cook the other side. Remove to a plate and continue with remaining batter.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Saute the leeks in butter until translucent and cool in the refrigerator. Place the chicken in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer the chicken mixture to a bowl and fold in the remaining ingredients.
• Place about 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture in the middle of a crepe; pull the edges up to form a beggar's purse and tie with chive that has been blanched for 20 seconds in boiling water. Place the purses on a sheet-pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 5 minutes or until cooked through.

FRESH HERB, CHEESE AND BACON BEGGAR'S PURSES

Steps:

• Beat first 5 ingredients with mixer until blended. Stack 4 phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet lightly with oil before stacking. Cut stack lengthwise in half, then crosswise into thirds to make 6 (4-inch) squares. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets.
• Spoon 1 rounded tsp. cream cheese mixture onto center of each stack; gather 4 points, then pinch just above filling to seal. Place, 1 inch apart, on baking sheet. Refrigerate 15 min.
• Heat oven to 375ºF. Bake purses 10 to 12 min. or until golden brown.

CRISPY BEGGAR'S PURSE

Steps:

• If frozen, defrost the spring roll skins thoroughly. Soak the mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess liquid. Remove and discard the stems and finely chop the caps. Soak the noodles in a large bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. When soft, drain and discard the water. Cut into 3 inch lengths.
• Put the prawns and pork in a large bowl, add salt and pepper and mix well. Then add the rest of the ingredients except for blanched green onions and frying oil, noodles and mushrooms and stir them well into the prawn and pork mixture. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it for at least 20 minutes.
• For the sauce, mix the cornstarch and water. Place all the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce, except the cornstarch mixture and chili in a pan. Bring to a boil, stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chili flakes. Let cool and set aside.
• When you are ready to stuff the dumplings, put 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each spring roll skin. Dampen the edges with a little water and bring up the sides of the skin around the filling. Pinch the edges together at the top so the dumpling looks like a small, filled bag. Tie with a green onion. Continue, to use up all the filling.
• Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and, when it is moderately hot, add a handful of dumplings and deep-fry for 3 minutes until golden and crispy. If the oil gets too hot, turn the heat down slightly. Drain on paper towels and fry the remaining dumplings. Serve immediately with the sweet and sour sauce.

DUCK-FILLED BEGGAR'S PURSES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Roast the duck: Score fatty skin on duck breasts and place on roasting pan, fat side up.
• Roast in preheated oven 30 minutes.
• When cool, discard the skin, bones and fat. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Make the filling: Chop the meat finely. In a large bowl, combine chopped duck with cranberries, raisins, rosemary, salt and pepper.
• Prepare the chives: Blanch chives for 3 minutes in boiling water.
• Drain and plunge into ice water.
• Drain and let dry.
• Assembly: Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a clean surface.
• Cover remaining dough with damp dish towel. Brush dough with butter, then top with another sheet of phyllo.
• Brush with butter and repeat until you have four layers.
• Cut the phyllo into six squares.
• Place tablespoon of filling in center of each square.
• Pull corners to the center, pinching dough in center to close over filling.
• Tie each bundle with a single chive.
• Snip dough one inch above the chive ribbon so all tops are even.
• Bake the purses: Place the purses on baking sheets and bake in 350-degree
• oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

GOLDEN PURSES THAI APPETIZER

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place cooked shrimp in a food processor or chopper. Add all the spice paste ingredients, then process well.
• Taste-test this mixture, adding 1/2 tablespoon more fish sauce if not salty enough.
• To create the purses, you will need a brush (like a pastry brush) and a small bowl of water. Place 4 to 6 wonton wrappers out over a clean surface (a countertop or chopping board work well). Dip the brush in water and wet 1 inch around the periphery of each wrapper.
• Place a small amount (1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon) of filling in the middle of each wrapper. Now lift up the sides of the wrappers and pinch them together over the filling. Tip : It helps if you wet your fingers as you pinch in order to secure the purse.
• Place the finished purses on a clean plate. Continue making the purses in this way until all the filling has been used up.
• Pour oil into a wok or small frying pan, so that oil is at least 1-inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat. When oil forms moving lines across the bottom of the pan, try dipping in the corner of a wonton wrapper. If the oil starts to sizzle around the wrapper, it's ready for frying. If nothing happens, wait another minute and try again.
• When the oil is hot enough, use tongs to lay 4 or 5 purses on their sides in the pan. Allow to fry 30 seconds, or until they turn golden-brown, then turn over. Fry until the purses are uniformly golden-brown, then drain on a clean tea towel or paper towel. Keep purses warm in the oven until ready to serve.
• Before serving, tie each purse with a chive. You have to do this carefully, or the chive with snap. We find it helps to tie the chive first, then slip it over the top of the purse.
• Serve the purses with Thai sweet chili sauce for dipping.