* Exported from MasterCook *
Crescent Moon Turnovers Filled with Lemony Lamb
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 30 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs
Meat
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
PASTRY:
6 ounces cold unsalted butter -- (1 1/2 sticks) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 pinch salt
2/3 cup ice water -- to 3/4 cup, as needed
MARINADE AND LAMB:
2 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons China Moon Chili-Lemon Oil (page 12)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch
4 twists freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound finely ground lamb shoulder
AROMATICS:
1 1/2 Tablespoons finely minced garlic
1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons dried red chili flakes
1 small green serrano chili pepper -- to 2 small peppers
SEASONINGS:
1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine -- or dry sherry
1 Tablespoon unsalted chicken stock
1 Tablespoon Serrano-Lemongrass Vinegar (page 19) -- or Japanese rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
TO STIR-FRY:
1/4 cup corn oil -- or peanut oil, for stir frying
1 large yellow onion -- finely diced
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced lemon zest
1 Tablespoon cornstarch -- plus 1 teaspoon
2 1/2 Tablespoons cold chicken stock -- or water
2 Tablespoons finely slivered coriander leaves and stems
1 egg yolk -- beaten with 1 whole egg
To Garnish: -- finely chopped Chinese chives, or lacy whole coriander leaves for garnish
To make the pastry: Combine the butter, shortening, flour, sugar, and salt
in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With
the machine running, add the ice water in a thin, steady stream. Stop the
machine as soon as the dough clumps together in a near ball. (The dough
can also be made in a KitchenAid mixer fitted with the flat paddle.
Combine the solids on low speed until mealy, add the water all at once,
and stop the machine when the dough clumps together.) Turn the dough out
onto a board, divide it into 2 even pieces, and press each piece into a
1-inch thick disk. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate or
freeze until firm. Frozen, the disks will keep fro up to 2 weeks; defrost
just until malleable before rolling.
To roll out the pastry: Work with 1 disk at a time. Roll the cold dough on
a lightly floured board to an even thickness of 1/8 inch. Run your
fingertips over the dough to check for bumps. Use a 4-inch cutter to cut
rounds from the dough, cutting them directly next to one another to
minimize scraps. Dip the cutter in flour, if needed to prevent sticking.
Remove the circles in a single layer to a baking sheet lined with
parchment or waxed paper. Build layers of circles with sheets of paper
between them. Stack the scraps, roll them out, and cut more circles; if
the scraps have warmed too much, then refrigerate them before rolling.
Proceed to cut more circles from the second disk of dough. Seal the baking
sheet and refrigerate the pastry circles for up to 2 days, or freeze for
up to 2 weeks. Defrost until malleable before using.
To make filling: Combine all of the marinade ingredients through the
pepper in a bowl and blend until smooth. Add the lamb and stir with your
hand in 1 direction to blend thoroughly. Seal and set aside at cool room
temperature for 3 to 4 hours, or refrigerate overnight. Bring to room
temperature before cooking.
Combine the aromatics in a small dish; seal until ready to use.
Combine the seasonings in a small bowl. Stir to blend, leaving the spoon
in the bowl.
Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until a bead of water
evaporates on contact. Add 1 Tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the
pan. Reduce the heat to moderately high. When the oil is hot to sizzle a
dab of lamb, add the meat and toss briskly, poking with a spatula to break
it into bits, until 95 percent gray, about 1 1/2 minutes. Adjust the heat
so it sizzles without scorching and drizzle a bit more oil down the side
of the pan, if needed to prevent sticking. Remove the lamb to a colander
to drain. Clean the pan and return it to the stove.
Heat the pan over high heat until a bead of water evaporate on contact.
Add 1 Tablespoon of the oil, swirl to glaze the pan, and reduce the heat
to moderately high. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a bit of onion,
add the onions and toss until golden, 2 to 3 minutes, adjusting the heat
so they sizzle without scorching. Drizzle a bit more of oil down the side
of the pan, if needed to prevent sticking. Spread the onions on a plate.
Wipe the pan clean and return it to the stove.
Heat the pan over high heat until a bead of water evaporates on contact.
Add 1 Tablespoon of the oil, swirl to glaze the pan, and reduce the heat
to moderate. When the oil is hot enough to foam a pinch of ginger, add the
aromatics. Stir gently until fully fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds, adjusting
the heat so they foam without browning. Drizzle in a bit more oil if
needed to prevent sticking. Return the lamb, onions, and any onion juices
to the pan, and toss to combine. Add the lemon zest and toss to mix. Stir
the seasonings and add them to the pan. Toss until the mixture is very hot
and steaming.
Quickly combine the cornstarch with the stock or water to dissolve it,
then loop it in a thin stream over the filling. Stir until the filling is
thick, heavy, and glossy, and a dab of the mixture leaves no floury taste
on the roof of your mouth, 4 to 5 minutes. Fold in the chopped coriander.
Spread the filling on a platter or jelly roll pan and refrigerate,
uncovered, until cold. Once cold, the mixture can be sealed and
refrigerated for up to 2 days. Use directly from the refrigerator.
To fill the moons: Put 2 level teaspoons of the filling off center on the
first dough round. Run a finger dipped in cold water around the edge of
the pastry, then bring the dough over the filling to form a half-moon.
Secure the edge by crimping it firmly with a fork. Set the filled crescent
on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue to make the remaining moons.
If you are baking them directly, leave 1 1/2 inches between them. Or, if
you are working in advance, put them closer together but not touching on
the baking sheet, and refrigerate overnight or freeze them until firm. To
save space, the moons can be bagged once frozen. They can be frozen for up
to 2 weeks. Defrost on baking sheets until malleable but still firm.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Move the racks to divide the oven evenly into
thirds.
Lightly brush the top and exposed side of the first crescent with an even
film of the egg wash. Be sure to brush the wash thinly at the crimped edge
so it doesn't pool. Sprinkle the top sparingly with chives, or lightly
apply a small coriander or two decoratively on top. Arrange the decorated
crescents 1 1/2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until
lightly golden, 14 to 15 minutes. Rotate the pans from front to back and
top to bottom midway through baking to ensure even coloring.
Serve immediately. Or let cool and hold at room temperature for up to 8
hours, or refrigerate overnight. Reheat in a low (200F) oven until
thoroughly hot, about 5 minutes.
Makes 30 small turnovers
AuthorNotes: With a name like China Moon, it was inevitable that we have
something moon-shaped on the menu. This is it: a short-crust pastry
crescent stuffed with a spicy mixture of minced lamb and fresh lemon zest.
They are a distant cousin of the traditional Cantonese pork curry
crescents, but the flavors fall somewhere between Mongolia and Morocco.
The good news for a home cook is that "moons", as we call them, freeze
perfectly in their unbaked form. That gives plenty of leeway for a party,
when you want to do everything short of reheating in advance.
The filling is also yummy (hot or cold) on garlic croutons, or rolled into
crispy leaves of lettuce, should the pastry-making seem too much.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: The turnovers are perfect with a bowl of soup -either
one of ours or your own favorites. As part of a buffet, they are a very
tasty foil to cold dishes of noodles, poultry, and fish. Peking Spicy
Cabbage Pickle is wonderful alongside.
Orchestrating Moons: The best time to approach moon-making is a good one
to two weeks ahead of baking. Make the pastry first. Cut it out into
circles and freeze on layers of parchment or on a baking sheet. That done,
make the filling - a simple job. Step three, a day or two later, is
filling the moons. From there you can bake them directly or pop them back
in the freezer for another nice rest.
Parchment Paper: Next to plastic wrap (how did we ever do without it?),
parchment paper is the save-all of the commercial kitchen. For the sake of
cleaning ease, everything is baked on it. And in applications like
pounding fish or meat to a thin paillarde, it is hard to replace. Take a
good look in supermarkets or kitchenware shops to find a roll. It is sure
to replace the waxed paper in your kitchen!
China Moon Chili Lemon Oil
1 1/2 cups oil -- corn or peanut
2 Tablespoons Japanese sesame oil
1/4 cup dried red chili flakes -- shockingly pungent
1 Tablespoon Szechwan brown peppercorns
1 large garlic clove -- lightly smashed and peeled
2 Tablespoons finely julienned fresh ginger root
1/3 cup scallion rings -- green and white
2 stalks fresh lemongrass -- pounded, then cut crosswise
into finger-lengths
finely minced zest of 3 to 4 well-scrubbed
lemons -- just the minced zest
Combine all the ingredients except for the lemon zest in a heavy,
non-aluminum 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to 223 F degrees on a deep fry
thermometer over moderately low heat and let bubble for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the
lemon zest and let stand overnight or until cool.
Remove and discard the lemongrass. Scrape the oil and seasonings into an
impeccably clean container.
Makes about 2 cups (32 one-tablespoon servings)
China Moon Serrano-Lemongrass Vinegar
3 cups unseasoned rice vinegar -- Japanese
1/2 cup quarter-size thin coins fresh ginger -- smashed
1 stalk fresh lemongrass -- fat stalk or 2 thinner stalks,
pounded, then cut cross-wise into finger lengths
6 serrano chiles -- green and/or red, tipped and
halved
Combine all the ingredients in a non-aluminum pot, then bring to a simmer
over moderate heat. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand until cool.
Store the mixture in an impeccably clean glass jar. If you wish, you may
strain out the solids before storing, but do not press down on them while
doing so. Another alternative is to leave only the chilis in the jar for
color. The vinegar may cloud, but its flavor will not be affected.
Makes about 3 cups (48 one-tablespoon servings)
Cuisine:
"Asian"
Source:
"China Moon Cookbook by Barbara Tropp, 1992"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"May 2013"
Yield:
"30 small turnovers"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 166 Calories; 11g Fat (62.3%
calories from fat); 4g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 28mg
Cholesterol; 110mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0
Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 1564 0 0 0 0 0 0 1074 0 0 0 0 3618 0 20130 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 4733 0 0 0 0 0 802 0 0 0 0 0
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