caprese wontons with balsamic reduction

Fried. Cheese. That’s pretty much all I need to say about these. If you’re a fan of fresh mozzarella with tomatoes, which I’m sure you are unless you’re either A) Crazy or B) Lactose Intolerant, you’re going to love these. It’s like a naughty little formaggio fritto got down and dirty with the proper insalata caprese next door.

Okay, that’s all I really need to say about these.

Caprese Wontons
(makes 6 servings)
Wonton wrappers (located in your grocery produce section next to Tofu)
8 oz fresh mozzarella (pearl size)
12 grape tomatoes (cut in half)
5 – 6 fresh basil leaves (finely chopped)
vegetable oil for frying

Balsamic Reduction
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 fresh basil leaves (finely chopped)

To make the balsamic reduction, combine the balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the mixture has reduced to around 1 1/4 cups (around 10 minutes) Transfer to a glass or ceramic dish and add the two chopped basil leaves.

To make the wontons, lay individual wonton wrappers on a clean work surface, then layer one mozzarella pearl, 1/2 of a grape tomato (I deseeded mine to cut down on juiciness inside the wontons), and a sprinkle of chopped basil on top of each. (Tip: If it’s hot or dry at all in your house, assemble and seal each wonton one at a time or the wrappers will dry out quickly, causing them to crack when you try to bundle and seal them.)

To seal the wonton wrappers, wet your fingertip and run it along all four edges of the wrapper, then pull all four corners up to the center and pinch the edges together, smoothing to seal them completely. They should look like this:

Heat 2 – 3″ of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange a wire rack over paper towels or parchment paper and set aside. Once the oil has reached 350 degrees, drop 2 – 3 wontons at a time into the pan, and cook until they’re a nice light golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the wire rack, and sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt while they’re still hot.

Serve with balsamic reduction for dipping.

Naughty little formaggio. You, get in my belly.

OMFG. SO GOOD.