As will happen, I recovered from my cold, but other people in my house were laid low by it. And they seemed put out about this, shooting me annoyed glances for passing on my virus. Of course, it was never my virus--just a loaner. But, I understand how irritating it is to get sick. So, as a way to make amends, I made some soup. This was a recipe I found in Food & Wine, in an excellent article about The Soup Peddler, an enterprising man named David Ansel who built a business making and delivering soup on bikes in Austin, Texas. I love wonton soup and decided to try this variation. The Jewish part comes from the filling, which is meant to be a variation of kreplach.
Wonton soup is generally made from pork, but this filling used the meat from cooked turkey legs instead. The legs produced a wonderful broth, gelatinous and full of turkey flavor. But, I still prefer the traditional filling used for wontons. I missed the taste of ginger root and the mouth feel of the pork mixture used in the classic Chinese recipes. The filling in this soup was loose and had a tendency to spill out into the broth, as if a tea bag had torn open. The general consensus in my house was that this was a little annoying. Still, this was a nice soup, particularly the broth.
Jewish Turkey-Wonton Soup
ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Three 1-pound turkey legs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups water
6 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 garlic cloves
2 celery ribs, 1 coarsely chopped, 1 finely diced
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 thyme sprig
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 small red onion, finely diced
40 square wonton wrappers
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
Directions
1. In a soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season the turkey legs with salt and pepper, add them to the pot and cook over high heat until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes. Add the water, stock, garlic, chopped celery, carrot, yellow onion, bay leaf, thyme sprig and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the turkey legs are tender and the meat pulls away from the bone, about 1 hour.
2. Transfer the turkey legs to a large plate and let cool slightly. Pull the meat off the bones and coarsely chop it; discard the skin. Return the bones to the pot and simmer the turkey stock for 1 hour longer.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the diced celery and red onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to a food processor. Add the turkey, season with salt and pepper and pulse until the turkey is finely chopped.
4. On a work surface, lay out 10 wonton wrappers. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the turkey filling into the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water and fold it in half on the diagonal, creating a triangle; press the edges to seal. Transfer the wonton to a baking sheet and keep covered with a damp cloth. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
5. Strain the turkey stock into another pot and skim the fat from the surface. Season with salt and pepper and bring the stock to a simmer. Add the wonton, cover and cook until the wrappers are just tender, about 5 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the dill and serve.
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