|
|
|
Wrapped for the
Holidays 
by Nancy Gerlach
Caribbean Roti with Potato Curry
Crispy Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Phyllo Packages with Tangy Apricot Pecan Filling
This is my favorite time of the year, with plenty of occasions for entertaining family and friends, wrapping and exchanging presents, and enjoying goodwill and holiday cheer. For me, chiles play a large role in these activities, as I make gifts by filling fancy baskets with pods, powders, and products and wrapping them in bright cellophane. I also prepare a variety of "hot" dishes that are wrapped in edible coverings and are appropriate for anything from impromptu get-togethers to elaborate holiday meals.
From the burritos of Mexico to the dolmades of Greece, wrapped foods have been popular all around the world for hundreds of years. Not only are wrapped foods easy to cook, they are easy to serve and to eat; in most cases, no knives or forks are needed, just pick them up and "pop" them in your mouth.
One of the oldest methods of cooking is to wrap and cook foods in vegetable leaves. Some of the more popular wrappers include banana leaves in places like Latin America and Southeast Asia; corn husks in Central America; cabbage leaves in Europe; grape leaves in the Mediterranean; and seaweed in Japan. The leaves can be used for baking, steaming, or even grilling. The moisture in the wrapper prevents the foods from drying during cooking, and the leaves themselves impart additional flavor to the dish. Some leaf wrappers are eaten as part of the dish, such as nori, or seaweed, on sushi, while other wrappers, such as cornhusks, are not edible.
Pastas or noodles are another old, but still very popular, food wrapper. They bring to mind Italian dishes such as ravioli, but don't fall for the Marco Polo myth. Although noodles may have originated in Central Asia, they were popular in Western culinary circles before Marco came back to Europe with "take out" from China. The word pasta is Italian for "paste" and refers to the dough formed from a flour source combined with a liquid such as water, milk, or eggs. This mixture is then rolled out to different thicknesses and cut into a wide variety of shapes. Along with raviolis we can include won tons and eggroll wrappers, which are prepared the same but rolled out differently. The Italian versions are made from semolina wheat, while the Asian varieties are made from rice flour, soybean or mungbean flour or starches, and even buckwheat. Dishes prepared with noodles can be fried, steamed or even boiled, but they are never baked without cooking the noodle first.
Foods wrapped in dough comprise yet another category that encompasses a wide range of dishes served for every meal, as well as snacks, appetizers, and desserts. Some are delicate thin layers of pastry, while others are more substantial. The dough can be made of many things, including puff pastry, phyllo pastry, or pie crust. Dough-covered foods are usually baked, with the exception of some small pies, such as empanadas, which can also be fried.
In this column, I've just scratched the surface of all the marvelous foods that can be wrapped up for the holidays. Many can be made in advance and kept frozen or refrigerated for a quick snack after hectic holiday shopping, or as part of an elegant New Year's Eve buffet. Have a Hot and Happy Holiday!
Caribbean Roti with Potato Curry
Rotis are traditional fare throughout the Caribbean and have been called a West Indian version of a burrito. The bread wrapper is East Indian in origin and always contains something curried.
Dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
Filling:
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, stem and seeds removed, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups potato, cooked, peeled, and diced
2 tablespoons tamarind paste dissolved in 1/4 cup water (optional)
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
Vegetable oil for frying
To make dough for the rotis: sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Gradually stir in the oil and enough water to form a ball. Knead the dough for 5 minutes or until soft. Gather into a ball, cover and let rise for 15 minutes.
To make the filling: sauté the ginger and chile in the oil for a couple of minutes. Add the onions, garlic, spices and the salt and pepper, then sauté until the onions are soft. Add the potatoes, tamarind, garbanzo beans, and 2 cups of water. Simmer for 15 minutes or until very soft but not mushy.
Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Flatten each and roll out into a circle, 8 to 9 inches in diameter. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet until very hot, or until a drop of water will sizzle. Reduce the heat, place the rotis in the pan, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Turn and brown the other side. Remove and cover with a towel until ready to serve.
To serve, place about a cup of the filling in the center of a roti. Fold over the sides and fold up the ends, as you would with a burrito. Serve accompanied with a chutney and/or your favorite hot sauce.
Serves: 4
Heat Scale: Hot
Crispy Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
These Vietnamese rolls resemble Chinese egg rolls, but use rice paper instead of won ton wrappers, which produces a much more delicate product. Handling rice paper for the wrapping is easy if you use only a couple of sheets at a time and keep the rest covered with a damp towel to keep them moist. These rolls can be prepared in advance: reheat in a 350 degree oven until crisp, about 20 minutes.
Spring Rolls:
2 ounces cellophane noodles
3 dried Chinese mushrooms
8 ounces shrimp, shelled, deveined, and chopped
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 green onions, chopped
3 serrano chiles, stems removed, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce, either nuoc mam or nam pla
24 sheets rice paper (8 inches in diameter)
Vegetable oil for frying, peanut preferred
Peanut Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Vietnamese fish sauce, either nuoc mam or nam pla
2 teaspoons Asian chili paste
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
½ teaspoon sugar
In separate bowls, soak the noodles and mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain and cut the noodles into 1-inch lengths and finely mince the mushrooms.
For the filling, combine the rest of the spring roll ingredients and mix well.
Place 4 to 6 cups of hot water in a large bowl. Dip the rice paper, one sheet at a time, in the hot water and then place on a damp dish towel to soften. It only takes 10 to 15 seconds to become workable.
To assemble: Fold over 1/3 of the rice paper. Place a few tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the folded portion. Fold the left side over to enclose the filling, then fold over the right side. Roll up to enclose the filling completely.
To make the sauce: sauté the garlic in the oil until browned. Add the tomato, fish sauce, and chili paste and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Thin with water or chicken broth if necessary.
Pour the oil in a pan to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 325 degrees. Fry the spring rolls, a couple at a time, for 10 minutes or until browned. Remove and drain.
Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.
Yield: 24
Heat Scale: Medium
Empanadas are filled pies or turnovers that are found in one form or another around the world. This recipe is based on one from Argentina and is tasty, yet simple to prepare.
Filling:
1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
4 green onions, chopped including the greens
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ají chile powder or cayenne
Salt and ground white pepper
Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
Or substitute 1 package prepared, unbaked pie crusts
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine all the filling ingredients and chill slightly.
To make the crust: in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or 2 forks. The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal.
Add 4 to 5 tablespoons of cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and lightly toss with a fork to incorporate. Add only enough water so that the dough will hold together and can be gathered into a ball.
Separate the egg into small bowls and lightly beat the white. Beat the yolk with 1 tablespoon of water.
Gently roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness and cut circles 2 to 2 ½-inches in diameter. Place a spoonful of the filling off-center on a circle. Brush the edges with the egg white, fold over and crimp the edges to seal.
Note: If using ready-made pie crusts, don't roll the pastry before cutting.
Brush the empanadas with the egg yolk, place on a lightly oiled baking pan, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
Remove and cool on a rack before serving.
Yield: 2 dozen
Heat Scale: Mild
These tasty snacks arrived in the Caribbean islands by way of South America, where they use banana leaves as a wrapper. The leaves are available, frozen, in Asian markets. To soften them for use, thaw them out and pass them over a gas flame, or place them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them.
Filling:
½ pound ground pork
1 large onion, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 habanero chile, seeds removed, minced
1 cup diced yams
1 cup cooked black beans
1 teaspoon minced thyme
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced basil
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons capers, chopped
4 tablespoons raisins
3/4 cup beef stock
Dough:
3 cups coarse cornmeal
2 tablespoons shortening
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 3/4 cups boiling water
3 to 4 banana leaves, cut in 8- by 10-inch rectangles
Sauté the pork in a skillet until it is browned. Add the onion, garlic, and habanero and sauté for an additional couple of minutes. Add the remaining filling ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove and cool.
To make the dough, cut the shortening into the cornmeal using a pastry cutter or two forks. Stir in the oil and salt. Pour the boiling water over the cornmeal and mix well to form a smooth dough. Form the dough into 18 balls.
Place a ball of the dough in the center of a banana leaf and press to form a circle 1/4-inch thick. Spread 2 tablespoons of the filling in center. Fold half of the leaf over, bringing the cornmeal with it. Flatten into a rectangle, then repeat with other half of the rectangle so that the dough encloses the meat. Fold up the leaf rectangle to make a package and tie together with string.
Place in a pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Remove and drain.
Serve with your favorite Caribbean hot sauce.
Yield: 18
Heat Scale: Medium
Phyllo Packages with Tangy Apricot Pecan Filling
Making your own phyllo can be a time consuming project, but fortunately the dough you can purchase ready-made works equally well in this recipe. The filling can be pureed or left with some texture. If you do puree the filling, do it before adding nuts and eliminate the raisins. These little packages can also be dusted with powdered sugar before serving. The trick to working with phyllo is to work very quickly and to keep the dough covered when not using so that it does not dry out.
Filling:
1 pound dried apricots, cut in pieces
2 ½ cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Packages:
8 sheets phyllo
1 stick unsalted butter
If the phyllo is frozen, thaw in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
To make the filling, place the fruit in a saucepan over a medium heat and cover with water. Add the sugar, and simmer until the fruit is very soft and is starting to breakdown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add additional water if necessary. Stir in the remaining ingredients, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.
To assemble, place the phyllo on a flat surface and cover it with a damp cloth when not using to keep the dough from drying out. Working with one sheet at a time, place the short side towards you and brush with the butter. Fold the sheet into thirds lengthwise and again butter. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces.
Place approximately 1-1/2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of the square. Gather the dough up around the filling and gently press together to seal, leaving the excess phyllo on top as a decoration. Keep the packages covered with a towel until ready to bake.
Place the packages on a lightly greased baking sheet and brush with the remaining butter. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove, cool slightly, dust with the sugar and serve.
Yield: 32
Heat Scale: Mild
A favorite of Indian cooks, these pastries are a popular teatime snack in Singapore and Malaysia. They also make a fabulous appetizer!
Filling:
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
3 to 4 serrano chiles, stems removed, finely chopped
1 tomato, peeled and chopped
2 cups finely diced cooked chicken
1 large potato, boiled and finely diced
Salt to taste
Pastry:
1 package prepared puff pastry
2 tablespoons milk
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Allow the puff pastry to thaw to room temperature.
Heat the oil and sauté the onion until browned. Add the ginger and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes. Mix the curry powder and turmeric with enough water to make a wet paste, and add it to the onion mixture. Sauté for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chiles, tomato, chicken, and potatoes, season with salt and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To assemble, roll out the pastry to about 1/8" and cut into 3 ½-inch circles. Brush the edges with milk, add a tablespoon of the curry filling, fold the edges closed and crimp decoratively with a fork. Brush the pastries with the egg wash.
Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12 to 15 minutes or until the curry puffs are golden brown and puffed.
Serve warm.
Serves: 4 to 6 as an appetizer
Heat Scale: Medium-Hot
Blue Corn, native to the Southwest, gives these tamales a distinctive, nutty taste. Make them smaller than an entree tamale and serve as a side dish in place of a vegetable. This recipe is taken from Just North of the Border, by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach. Prima Publishing, 1992.
6 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, chopped
2 cups whole-kernel corn
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Corn husks
2 cups coarse blue cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup lard or shortening
Combine the chiles, corn, and cheese together for the filling.
Soak the corn husks in water to soften.
Mix together the blue cornmeal and salt. Slowly add the broth, stirring with a fork until the mixture holds together. Whip the lard or shortening until it is fluffy. Add the cornmeal mixture to the shortening and continue to beat. Drop a teaspoonful of dough into a glass of cold water. If the dough floats, it is ready. If it sinks, continue to beat it until it floats.
To assemble, select corn husks that measure about 5 by 8 inches or overlap smaller ones together. Place 2 tablespoons of dough in the center of the husk and pat or spread it evenly into a 2-by-3-inch rectangle. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling down the center and top with some cheese. Fold the husk around the dough and filling, being careful not to squeeze the tamale.
There are two basic ways of securing the corn husks. The first is to use two strips of husk to firmly tie each end of the tamale. This method works well with smaller corn husks.
The second method is to fold the tapered end over the filled husk and then fold the remaining end over it. Tie the tamale around the middle with a strip of husk to keep the ends folded down.
Place a rack in the bottom of a steamer or large pot. Make sure
that the rack is high enough to keep the tamales above the water.
Place the tamales on the rack, folded side down; if the pot is
large enough, stand them up. Do not pack them tightly because
they need to expand as they cook. Cover with additional husks
or a towel to absorb the moisture. Bring the water to a boil,
reduce to a gentle boil, and steam for an hour for each dozen
tamales, or until done. To test for doneness, open one end of
a husk; if the dough pulls away from the wrapper, it is done.
Yield: 24
Heat Scale: Mild