Imperial Chinese Wraps

Ingredients

Filling

• 1½ cups (about 10 oz) crumbled TVP
• 2 cups vegetarian, chicken-flavored stock
• 16 leaves bibb or butter lettuce
• 16 Peking pancakes
• 1 small onion, minced (about ½ cup)
• 8 water chestnuts, minced
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked, stemmed and minced
• ¼ cup fresh or frozen green peas
• 2 tsp regular or low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 4 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying plus
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil for stir-frying
• 2 oz rice noodles

Sauce

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp rice wine

Procedures

Filling

1. Place TVP in bowl, cover with chicken-flavored stock and set aside for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, separate lettuce leaves, and rinse well.
3. Pat dry, and place in two stacks of 8, putting smaller leaves on top.
4. Use cleaver to shape lettuce leaves into circles about 4 inches round.
5. Stack, and refrigerate until needed.
6. Wrap pancakes in damp towel to prepare for steaming.
7. Place onion, water chestnuts, mushrooms and peas in separate piles on large plate, and set aside.
8. Drain TVP, squeezing out excess liquid.
9. Combine 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, salt, sugar and egg yolk in mixing bowl.
10. Stir in TVP, and set aside.

Sauce

1. Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, sesame oil, sugar, black pepper and rice wine in small bowl, and set aside.

Wraps

1. Heat oil for deep-frying to 400°F, or when rice noodle placed in oil instantly puffs up.
2. Separate noodles, and carefully place in oil.
3. Using skimmer or slotted spoon, turn noodles over immediately, and cook for total of 10 seconds.
4. Remove from oil, and drain on paper towels.
5. Place cooked noodles in center of serving platter, and place two stacks of lettuce circles at each end of platter.
6. Place wrapped pancakes in steamer basket, and heat over boiling water for 3 minutes, or until softened.
7. Fold softened pancakes into quarters, and place overlapping around platter.
8. Heat wok over high heat.
9. Add 2 tablespoons oil and stir-fry marinated TVP for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden.
10. Using slotted spoon, remove from oil and place on plate.
11. Add another 2 tbsp of oil to wok, stir-fry onion until soft and add remaining vegetables.
12. Return TVP to wok, and mix.
13. Stir sauce mixture, and add to wok. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, and pour onto noodle nest on platter.
14. Place two Chinese ceramic spoons in mounded “pigeon meat” for serving.
15. To serve, top pancake with lettuce round.
16. Spoon noodles and filling onto lettuce, and roll up taco-style to eat.