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I am wondering...

C

Cook Chatty Cathy

New member
if I fried a flour tortilla what would the outcome be? Would it really work to do like IC mentioned with the strawberry burritos? Or would it come apart upon frying and let the filling escape? Anyone know out there:confused: All I know is the idea sounded wonderful, and so I'd like some input!
 
Cathy, we fry flour tortillas all the time. We use them for chips and salsa, taco salad bowls and such.
I have had a fried flour tortilla shell filled afterwards with ice cream too at a restaurant for dessert.
 
I have fried burritos too but I did moisten the edges like you would an egg roll. I nuked the tortillas first to soften them so that they would wrap easier. If you try to wrap with them cold they just break a part. Usually when I make burritos I bake them and they come out of the oven sealed really well and crispy.
I also like to nuke my burritos after filling them instead of baking.. They come out of the microwave really moist and super sealed. The sealed edges practically steam together.
Maybe for deep frying a burrito with a moist filling, a nuke before frying would be a safe bet.
 
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yeah, Cath... I cut flour tortillas into wedges or strips and deep-fry them often and the chips that result or as good or better than corn chips w/ salsa and the like...
 
Thanks for the excellent info guys! Eddie can not eat corn tortillas so the flour would be an excellent replacement! I now know what they are IC when you mentioned frying them whole and using for taco salad bowls. I have never had one but have seen them in restaurants like that, also I have had fried chimichanga's which I forgot is a sort of meat & bean filled fried burrito, the shells come out so nice and crisp! I am going to try some, they should be great! THANKS!
 
I do basically the same as IC - except I don't believe in microwaves - I heat mine in a dry skillet to soften, I also deep fry them and sprinkle with various herbs/spices for different flavors.
 
And for those who don't want them fried (poor babies), you can shape and bake them as well.

Soften the tortilla by whatever method you prefer. Using an oven-proof bowl, drape the tortilla over the bowl, inverted on a baking sheet. Pop in the oven.

For smaller serving bowls, push the tortilla into a large cupcake cup and bake.
 
That works great for corn tortillas. You can also hang small corn tortillas over the wire grates in your oven and create your own taco shells.

I cut up my flour tortillas all the time to make my own tortilla chips, usually sprinkled with cumin and baked in the oven until crisp.
 
And, taking a short side-step, all of these techniques work well with egg roll wrappers and won-ton skins as well.
 
Believe it or not I have never tried cooking with Won-Ton wrappers or the Egg Roll wrappers either, I guess I have never felt brave enough, or am afraid mine will not turn out right. I bet by trying some this way first and becoming familiar with the product would help me venture forward:D Janie and my baby sister have both given me excellent Egg Roll recipes, and WonTon's I adore! I really should give it a shot!
 
What's bravery got to do with it. It's not like using the rice-paper spring roll skins. Now that's a job of work. But the regular wheat won tons and egg roll wrappers are easy to use.

The trick is to not take a lot of them out of the package at once, because they'll dry up if you do. When making things like goyoza, I work six up. Ditto if I use won tons to make ravioli.

For egg rolls, i work one at a time. The secret there is learning how to fold them. It's not hard, and the learning curve is fast.

Give 'em a try, Cathy. You'll be glad you did, because they are among the greatest kitchen aids going.
 
Thanks for the pep talk coach, I will def. follow your guidelines and give 'em a shot! I don't feel like I will mess them up too bad:eek: and hey ya never know I may just master it after only a try or two, I am after all a pretty fair cook;)
 
Amen to that, IC!

Cathy, the only thing to worry about is overfilling---the commonest mistake made by beginners. If the filling isn't completely enclosed by the wrappers then you're using too much.
 
Let us know when you're ready, and I'll walk you through the folding step by step.
 
Whether you are preparing crab rangoons, potstickers or wontons, wrapping them easily can be a little intimidating. Consider the following as a way to wrap like a professional.

Working with prepared, packaged wonton skins or wraps is the easiest way to get started. They can be purchased in most grocery stores.

Place the wonton wrap on a flat working surface. You can work with one at a time or create an assembly line. Either way is fine. Keep wrappers that are not being used in an air tight package since they dry out quickly.
Place a small dollop of the desired filling onto the center of the wrapper. Be careful not to over fill it to prevent them from bursting when they are frying.

Spread the filling out to the size of a quarter. Use your finger or small pastry brush to moisten the edges of the wrapper with water or egg wash. This will act as the glue to keep the wonton wrap held together when folding.

Once the edges have been moistened, fold the wrapper in half to create a rectangular shape.
Press around the outer edges to make sure that the wonton has sealed. It is also important to press out any air that might be trapped around the filling. Too much air inside the wrapper will result in the wonton puffing up and breaking open when frying.


Moisten the sides again with water and fold the wrapper in half one more time so the wrapper is a quarter of the size that it was originally.

Press the sides down for a tight seal.

The wrapper will now have a creased side along the long edge and an open side. Turn the wrapper so that the open edge is pointed up. Take the right side of the wrapper and fold it down over the right edge of the filling. There should be four layers on the right hand folded side of the wrapper. Grasp the top layer and pull it up so that it sticks out slightly.

Fold the left side of the wrapper down as you did to the right side but this time overlap the right side a little. Moisten in-between these two layers and press to seal. Grasp the top layer on the right hand side and pull it up so that it sticks out.

The end result should look somewhat like a nurse's hat. The wonton is now ready to boil, steam, or fry.

Tip: As the wontons are being prepared, keep those that are finished under a slightly damp towel so that they don't dry out.
 
Wontons

I just place about a teaspoon of filling onto the center of my wrapper. Moisten the edge all the way around. Fold into a triangle pushing out the air and sealing the edges.
I then take 2 connecting edge ends of the triangle, moisten the ends and pull them together and pinch them to seal.
The possibilities of folding wontons are numerous. If the wontons have a good filling and they are sealed, they are good to go. I think the stock that they are cooked in is what makes them delicious.

For my filling
1 chicken breast half ground to a paste
1 tablespoon of corn starch
2 minced scallions
1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground ginger
1 mashed and minced garlic clove
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
a splash of sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste.
1 egg white whipped to stiff peak stage.

I mix all the ingredients together and then fold the egg white in just before I am ready to fill the wrappers.

For my broth I like to use my favorite chicken soup stock. I usually use about 6 cups. Wonton soup freezes very well.
I make a simple soup to cook the wontons in by adding some fresh garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil to the soup stock. I do this to taste. Be careful with the amount of sesame oil because it has a very strong flavor.
After the wontons are cooked and before I serve it I add in some chopped scallions and some lettuce or nappa cabbage thinly sliced. I like the broth so with the scallions and such I only use a small amount so that they are more of a garnish. The same goes if I want to add some thinly sliced pork.
With the addition of vinegar and some hot pepper flakes and some tasting, the basic wonton soup can take a hot and sour direction. I'm not a big fan of tofu but cut some into fine strips and I like it in hot and sour soup.

I grow Swiss chard and enjoy it also in soups like this. The trick though is to add it towards the end of cooking and to just wilt it with the heat of the soup. The multi colored Swiss chard is also pleasing to the eye in a soup.

 
If those are typical instructions, Mama, I can see why people find the process intimidating.

I've been making won tons, pot stickers, goyoza, and egg rolls for more years than I care to remember (starting, btw, with the instructions I was given by a Chinese chef), and I don't begin to understand your directions. Basically, you lost me after folding in half to make a rectangle. And, fwiw, I don't know anyone, pro or home cook, who starts out by making a rectangle.

Trust me, Cathy, the process is a lot simpler than that. When you're ready, give a yell.
 
yup love making deep fried burritos really good if there homemade too
 
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