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Pastry Sheets -
3/4 cup (4 oz / 125 g) all-purpose (plain)
flour
1/4 cup (1 oz / 30g) rice flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (6 fl oz / 180ml) water
vegetable oil for deep-frying
Filling -
1/4 lb (125g) shrimp (prawns)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried shrimp, minced
1 cup (4 oz / 125g) julienned bamboo shoot
1 large carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 lb (250g) daikon, peeled and finely
shredded
1 cup (8 fl oz / 250ml) water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 lb (125g) fresh-cooked crabmeat, picked
over for shell fragments and flaked
1/4 cup (1/3 oz / 10g) chopped fresh
coriander (cilantro), plus about 36 whole leaves for garnish
Sriracha sauce |
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Method :
- To make the pastry shells, in a
bowl, stir together the all-purpose and rice flours and the salt.
Add the egg, then slowly add the water, stirring until the mixture
is the consistency of a thin batter.
- To
fry the shells, pour the vegetable oil to a depth of 3 inches (7.5 cm) in
a wok or deep saucepan and heat to 365F (185C) on a deep-frying
thermometer. When the oil is hot, season the pastry mold by holding its
handle and dipping it into the hot oil for 1 minute. Remove the mold from
the oil, shaking to remove any excess oil, then dip it into the batter up
to, but no over, the top edge. Lift the mold out of the batter and let the
excess batter drip back into the bowl. Lower the coated mold into the hot
oil and deep-fry until the pastry can retain its shape, about 1 minute.
With chopsticks or tongs, nudge the top edge of the mold to help release
the shell into the oil. Fry the shell until it is golden brown, about 1
minute longer. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the
batter is used. Let the shells cool completely. (The shells can be stored
in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
- To
make the filling, bring a saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil.
Add the shrimp and boil until they turn bright orange-pink, 1-2 minutes.
Drain, let cool, then peel, devein, and cut into 1/4 inch (6-mm) dice.
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Place a wok over medium-high heat and add the oil. When it is hot, add the
garlic and dried shrimp and saute until the garlic is golden, about 30
seconds. Raise the heat to high and add the bamboo shoot, carrot, daikon,
and diced shrimp, and stir and toss in the hot oil for a few seconds. Add
the water, sugar, and salt and continue cooking, stirring gently, until
the vegetables are tender and all the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Add
the crabmeat and chopped coriander to the cooled filling and mix well.
Using chopsticks, put about 2 tsp of the filling into each pastry shell.
Garnish each filled shell with a whole coriander leaf, top with a drop of
Sriracha sauce, and serve.
Serves 12; Makes about 3 dozen pastries
Note - A
great party dish, these dainty, fluted shells, named because they look
like upside-down top hats, are filled with a braised mixture of seafood
and vegetables. Each shell is made with a steel mold that is dipped into
batter and plunged into hot oil. When crisp and brown, the shell slips
off the mold. I found molds while rooting around in the night markets in
Singapore, and they are also sold there in department stores. Some of
the better Southeast Asian markets in the West carry them as well. If
you cannot find the mold, you can substitute wonton skins: press a 1.5
inch (4 cm) wide, stainless-steel ladle into the middle of a skin and
hold it down in the hot oil. Failing that option, use small premade
Western pastry shells.
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