Cooking and Drinking – Dark Chocolate Wontons

A couple years ago my mom and I started fleshing out an idea for a book that would be part cookbook and part beer pairing guide.  My mom is an exceptional cook, and I… well, I drink pretty good.  We live in different states, but when we got together she would bring a recipe she designed and I would come up with three different beers that felt would pair well with it.  We would then cook, drink, and take notes (I could never recommend something I hadn’t already tried).  It was a hell of a lot of fun.

The project was never canned, but busy schedules have gotten in the way of its progression (primarily mine, unfortunately).  I would very much like to continue working on this concept at some point, but for now I thought it might be nice to add a few of the finalized recipes to this blog every so often.  Hopefully it can generate feedback on what we’ve already done, and maybe even act as a catalyst to get the project back on its feet again.

Anyway, below is one that we did as part of a “Big Beer, Little Food” menu.  These little dark chocolate wontons would be the perfect end to what we envisioned to be a series of heavy appetizers and high alcohol beers. 
 

Dark Chocolate Wontons

12 oz. package Wonton Wrappers

1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
1 cup Fresh Raspberries
0.50 cup White Sugar
3 cups Vegetable oil (for frying)
0.25 cup Powdered Sugar (for dusting)

For sauce, place half of the raspberries in a bowl and top with sugar.  Slightly mash the raspberries with a fork and set aside.

Place wonton wrapper on a work surface.  Place about one teaspoon of dark chocolate chips in the center of the wrapper and top with raspberry.  Dip your finger in water and moisten all four edges of wrapper.  Fold the wrapper into a triangle and press to seal edges (try to get as much air as possible out of the center).  Fold again until wonton is “bite sized”.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 350°F.  Drop wontons in a few at a time.  Allow oil to fry the wontons until they are lightly browned on one side and then gently flip them over (about 45 seconds per side).  Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.   

To serve, top with a spoon of the raspberry sauce and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Beer Recommendation: 

Laughing Dog Brewing (Ponderay, ID) – The Dogfather

Imperial Stout (limited availability; November)

Who’s the imperial stout whose got seven grains, four hops, and is smooth as liquid silk?  Dogfather.  You damn right.  Who’s the inky black beer that takes eleven months to make and is partially aged in bourbon barrels?  Dogfather.  Can you dig it?  Who’s roasted espresso and deep cocoa flavors pair perfectly with rich dark chocolate and tart raspberry sweetness?  Dogfather.  Right on.  They say that Dogfather is a bad mother… shut your mouth!  I’m just talking about Dogfather.  Then we can dig it.  It’s a complicated beer, but no one understands it but it brewer.  Dogfather!

Glassware –Snifter

ABV – 11.0%
Serving Temperature – 50°F to 55°F

Possible Substitutions: 

Epic Brewing Co. (Salt Lake City, UT) – Big Bad Baptist

Imperial Stout (limited availability)

If you like your imperial stouts to lean more heavily towards the caffeinated end of the spectrum, then Bad Baptist is the beer for you.  There’s coffee in the bouquet, coffee in the flavor, and coffee in the aftertaste.  They say there are some cocoa nibs in there too, but they must taste like coffee.  Anyway, it’s a really nice brew… particularly matched with the dark chocolate in the wontons.

Hoppin’ Frog Brewery (Akron, OH) – Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S.

Oatmeal Imperial Stout (limited availability)

The celebrated Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout (aka “B.O.R.I.S.”) by Hoppin’ Frog in Ohio is an easy drinking, smooth, full bodied masterpiece.  Its barrel aged brother is all that, plus a bag of potato chips (please note that there are not likely any potato chips in this beer).  The wood lends this beer subtle vanilla and dark fruit tones, and any oaky twang in the finish.  It’s very nice with both the dark berries and dark chocolate.

Last Resort: 

Your local imperial or double stout.

-Matt