The Third Meal: Thank You, Monsieur Poulet

Tonight was a big clean-out-the-fridge success with my chicken wonton soup... the only ingredients I had to buy were basil and wonton wrappers. Then, I recombined my lemongrass, roast chicken, scallions, ginger, roasted vegetables, homemade chicken stock and egg into a double... no, triple-whammy! Dinner + lunch tomorrow + dumplings for an appetizer or snacky down the line.

First I simmered bits of lemongrass and ginger in the stock I had made from the roast chicken carcass. This infused a really lovely fresh flavor into the broth. Meanwhile, I made my wontons by finely chopping chicken with scallions and ginger and a little soy sauce and Chinese five spice. (I am verily obsessed with five spice.) The wontons get sealed with a bit of egg, and since I had extra, I dumped some into the filling mixture to hold it all together inside a bit.

After straining the broth of stringy lemongrass slivers, I plopped in the cute little dumplings and my leftover vegetables and waited until they looked good and cooked... the wonton skins turned more translucent than their original white (I think about 7 minutes if I had been counting). Then, as an afterthought, I whipped the last bit of egg into the soup, which gave it a most delightful egg-drop soup element, especially when it was garnished with fresh scallions to finish.

To drink, I slurped up some 2008 Selbach-Oster Kabinett Riesling from Whelener Sonnenuhr, which contrasted really well with the salty and green notes of the soup. Very pretty, easy, dry and light Riesling from the Mosel. Dancing.

 

Here's what comes later in the week...