Spiced American Lamb Wontons with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
The USDA recommends cooking ground lamb to an internal temperature of 160°F, followed by a 3-minute rest.
Treat yourself to Mei Lin’s Spiced Lamb Wontons with Cucumber Yogurt & Chili Oil—so delicious!
Ingredients
Lamb Filling:
1 pound ground American lamb shoulder
27 grams shallots
5 grams granulated garlic
15 grams Shaoxing wine
18 grams lkk seasoned soy sauce
10 grams scallions
20 grams sambal
9 grams chicken powder
8 grams cumin seeds, toasted & ground
8g coriander seed, toasted & ground
3 grams Szechuan peppercorn, toasted and ground
3 grams ground white pepper
7 grams sugar
6 grams corn starch
1 package of wonton skins, thin
Cucumber Yogurt:
2 Persian cucumbers
Salt, to taste
16 grams cilantro
10 grams scallion greens
78 grams labne (or Greek yogurt)
Seeded Chili Oil:
3 cups avocado oil
1/2 cup gochugaru
3 tablespoons ginger, tiny dice
3 tablespoons ground chile de arbol
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground red szechuan peppercorns
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
Garnish:
Cilantro, Mint, Chive Sticks (a bunch of each herb picked, shocked in Ice then spun)
Equipment:
Mixing Bowls, Strainer / Sieve Sauce Pot (2) Blender
Preparation
For Lamb Wontons:
In a blender, add shallots, granulated garlic, Shaoxing wine and seasoned soy sauce, and blend until homogenous. Pour into a mixing bowl and add scallions, sambal, chicken powder, cumin, coriander, Szechuan peppercorns, white pepper, sugar and cornstarch and mix. Add in the ground lamb and mix until well combined.
Take a square wonton wrapper, and use your index finger to dab the edges of the wrapper with water. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold in half to create a rectangle. Grasp the bottom corners of the rectangle (the filling side, not the seam side), and dab one of the corners with a little water. Bring the two corners together and squeeze to seal. Cover with a towel until ready to use or store in the freezer if holding longer.
For Cucumber Yogurt:
Grate the cucumbers into a sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt, mix, and let sit until liquid drains, about 10 minutes. Wring out the cucumber and discard the liquid.
Place a pot on the stove with water and bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl. Season with salt and when it’s at a boil. Add the cilantro and scallion greens into the water. Blanch for 20 seconds and then shock in the ice water. Wring it out and add into a blender with labne and blend on high. Combine the herbed labne with drained cucumbers and set aside.
For Chili Oil:
Have a sieve over a mixing bowl ready.
Add the oil to a saucepan, set over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and cook until toasted. Once they’re golden, pour the pumpkin seeds and oil into the sieve. Return the oil back to the pot and do the same with sunflower seeds. Repeat with black and white sesame seeds and add along with gochugaru, ginger, szechuan peppercorn, ground chile de arbol, garlic, salt and sugar until fragrant (about 5 minutes) Turn flame off and allow it to cool.
To Serve:
Fill a 4 quart pot with water and bring to a boil and season with salt. Add the wontons and boil gently until they float on the top. Drain.
Spoon the cucumber yogurt on the bottom of the plate and add the cooked wontons on top. Spoon some of the seeded chili oil on top of the wontons and garnish with the herbs.
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