These savory, pillowy creations are a snap to prepare, especially if you have an extra pair of hands to help you. Use any kind of ground meat, but the lamb-pork combo is especially good. Serve them with a big salad and a bottle of Rioja.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 10 scallions, both white and green parts, minced
- Pinch of cayenne
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ pound ground lamb
- ¼ pound ground pork
- 12 or so wonton skins
- 3 cups loosely packed fresh mint leaves, plus a handful for garnish
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
How to Make It
- Melt the butter with 1 teaspoon of the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, scallions, and cayenne. Salt and pepper generously and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the lamb and pork, generously salt and pepper again, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Pour off any fat that has accumulated and set aside.
- Lay the wontons out on a clean cutting board. Spoon some of the meat into a wonton skin and fold to make a triangle (or any other shape you like). Cut off any obviously extra wonton and pinch the ends shut to form a reasonably tight seal. If you lightly dip your fingers in water before pinching, you’ll get better results. Repeat with more wonton skins until you’ve used up all the meat. Place the filled wontons in a bamboo or metal steamer, in several batches if necessary. Bring a pot of water to a boil, place the steamer in the pot over the boiling water, and steam the wontons until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the mint, ¼ cup olive oil, yogurt, and 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts in a blender and puree. Transfer the wontons to warm individual plates (2 to 3 per person is a good serving size), drizzle the mint sauce over the top, and sprinkle on the remaining pine nuts.
