From chef Elise Wiggins of Panzano, makes 24 servings.
Ingredients
FILLING
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound mixed mushrooms
2 teaspoon sea salt
8 ounces light cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon garlic chives, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
WON TON WRAPPING
24 won ton skins
2 eggs, lightly whipped
Peanut oil for frying
AGRO DOLCE SAUCE
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
Basil pesto, purchased or your favorite recipe, for dipping
Directions
Heat a saute pan up to just smoking. Add butter and olive oil. Add mushrooms. Cook until just tender. Season with salt. Remove from heat and place mushrooms in a colander to drain. Place drained mushrooms in a medium bowl in refrigerator to cool quickly.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, chives, thyme and tarragon.
When mushrooms are cool, place in a food processor and pulse until chopped medium. Combine mushrooms with cheese and herb mixture. Place in a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off.
Won ton wrapping: Place a few skins out on the counter. Using a pastry brush, brush enough egg to just wet the skin. This is your glue to bind the won tons. Pipe out 1/3 inch of filling onto the bottom of a won ton. Make sure there is a 1/4-inch space at each end of the piped cheese. You will need this space to close the cigars so the cheese won’t escape. Roll won ton up and crimp ends. Place cigars back in fridge to cool.
In a deep pot, heat oil to 330-350 degrees. Place a few cigars at a time in oil and fry until golden brown. Remove and drain. Continue until the entire batch is done.
Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
Serve with agro dolce sauce and basil pesto for dipping.
Wine ideas: Deep-fried foods are always a cue to pull out the sparkling wines. A prosecco such as Le Bellerive or Nino Franco Rústico (both about $15) is plenty dry enough to match the robust filling in these crunchy cigars, and the hint of sweetness will help handle the agro dolce sauce. Tara Q. Thomas
