know that Mexican food is very popular here. While I have incorporated some of these into my repertoire (my wife asked me to make tostadas every other week), I don’t get excited about cooking them. Asian food, on the other hand, does.
I like to play with the different flavors you find in Asian cooking. Hoisin sauce, Oyster Sauce, Sriracha and Gochujang are among my favorites. With that in mind, I want to share with you three Asian recipes that I created right here in Searcy. The first is my take on an eggroll, Voodoo Rolls. The second is a dipping sauce for either of the other two recipes, Casian Sauce. The third one is a great appetizer, Crabby Jack Wontons. So gather your ingredients, and Let’s head to the kitchen!
Voodoo Rolls
This is a recipe that I came up with the day after a crawfish boil. I used leftover crawfish tails, onions, garlic, and sausage. It was the first time I used eggroll wrappers. They were well received by my guest, as they will be by yours.
10oz Crawfish Tails
2 Teaspoons Creole Seasoning
¼ c Minced Onions
3 cloves Minced Garlic
6oz Andouille Sausage, cut in a small dice
5 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
8oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
20 Egg Roll Wrappers
Put Creole seasoning on crawfish and toss to coat. Sauté onions and garlic in Worcestershire sauce for 2 minutes. Add crawfish and Andouille. Sauté for 3 minutes. Drain and allow to cool. Mix cheese with the cool meat mixture. Place egg roll wrapper on a dry surface. Place 2 Tablespoons of the meat and cheese mixture in a roll in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the sides of the wrapper ½ inch over the mixture. Wet one end and roll the roll toward that end. Press to seal. Fry rolls at 375 degrees until golden, about 2 minutes. Make sure to turn the rolls so that both sides cook evenly.
Casian Dipping Sauce
My first batch of Voodoo Rolls were good but were missing something. They needed a dipping sauce. This is a recipe that needed no tweaks. It’s rare that I don’t play with a recipe to try to improve it. This was not one of them. The secret is my use of cane syrup to sweeten the sauce.
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Steen’s cane syrup
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce ( Optional)
Mix together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to combine. Remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before serving.
Crabby Jack Wontons
I wanted to try something a little smaller than an eggroll. The wonton wrappers were right next to the eggroll ones. I guess you could call this my version of Crab Rangoon without the cream cheese.
8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked through for shells
10 ounces freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients, except wonton wrappers, together. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
To make wontons. Place a wonton wrapper with corners at 12, 3, 6 & 9 o’clock. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Using your finger, lightly wet the sides closest to you. Form a triangle. Press out any air bubbles and seal the triangle. Wet the bottom corner and bring the corners together. Press and seal the two corners together. If you use and air fryer, keep the wontons in a triangle shape.
To cook in deep fryer. Heat fryer to 350℉. Cook until golden brown, flipping them if necessary.
To cook in an Air Fryer. Brush each wonton with oil or cooking spray. Place wontons in a single layer and cook at 375℉. For 10 minutes.
Don’t be afraid to try cooking foods from different cultures. I find that it’s a good way to change up your routine. Who knows, you may invent a new dish that your family loves.
Next time, I will take you on a trip upriver from New Orleans. We are going to stop at one of the most photographed buildings in the state, Oak Alley plantation. You will find that it’s more than just a picturesque property.
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