Shrimp Purse Recipes

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.

CREAMY HERB SHRIMP STUFFED MUSHROOM PURSES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking ban with cooking spray.
• 2. In a small bowl, combine cheese, shrimp, dash of hot sauce (more if you want it spicy) and a spritz of lemon juice.
• 3. On a dry surface (I use a floured countertop) lay out phyllo and brush top side lightly with melted butter. Lay next sheet on top of first until you have 6 sheets. You can butter every other one if you want to cut down on butter.
• 4. Cut phyllo with a SHARP knife horizontally down the middle and then cut 3 more times the opposite way to make 6 even rectangles.
• 5. Place a washed and dried mushroom cap open side up on each piece of phyllo. Stuff with cheese mixture and season with salt and pepper.
• 6. Carefully lift the sides of the phyllo up over the sides of the mushroom so that they resemble little bundles. Twist the top slightly and pinch so that they seal.
• 7. Repeat steps 3-6 for the remaining phyllo and mushrooms. You should have 12 mushrooms left so 2 more rounds should do it.
• 8. Place shrimp purses on sprayed baking sheet and brush with beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

BEGGARS PURSES FILLED WITH SHRIMP AND SCENTED WITH LEMON AND THYME

Steps:

• Start by making the aromatic shrimp filling: Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season the mix with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, bring 1-inch of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Place the chives in the water and blanch for 1 minute. Remove the chives and squeeze them dry in a paper towel. The chives will be all bunched up in a ball at this point, so carefully separate them and set them aside.
• To assemble your purses: take a crepe and cut it in half. Place a heaping tablespoon of the shrimp filling in the middle of each half of crepe and draw up the sides of the crepe as to make a pouch of filling resembling a purse. Carefully twist the crepe around at the top and lay it on its side, holding the crepe closed at the top. Slip a chive under the crepe and tie it around the twisted top in a knot to secure the purse. Trim away any extra crepe and length of chive. After practicing this technique a few times you will get the hang of it and they will come together nicely. These may be made ahead of time and frozen for up to 1 month.
• To make the crepe batter, combine the flour, milk, water, eggs, 2 tablespoons of butter, and salt in a blender. Blend on high until the batter is smooth. Cover and let the batter sit for 30 minutes. This is essential in creating strong crepes which will hold up to the stress of tying them into your beggars purses. Place a 7 1/2-inch nonstick crepe pan over medium heat. Brush a little of the remaining melted butter into the pan with a pastry brush. Ladle 2 tablespoons of crepe batter into the pan and swirl to coat the entire pan evenly. Cook the crepe until it is set and the bottom is golden brown. Using a heat-proof rubber spatula, flip the crepe over and cook on the second side until it is lightly browned as well. Continue making crepes with remaining batter. Set aside covered with a dish towel until you are ready to assemble your beggars purses.