Eat All About It

 

I meant the third day of the United Way Hunger Challenge to be fish night. I figured I would try to get around the conundrum of fish being one of the healthiest foods around (once you avoid the pollutants and environmental landmines) but also one of the most expensive. Instead, I found myself in my first experiment in deep-fat frying. 

Searching through Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid’s “Beyond The Great Wall” for inspiration on spectacular dishes within limited means, I became hypnotized by the little vegetable-filled turnovers (”Uighur Pastries With Pea Tendrils”) the authors found in the Turpan oasis of China. The dough couldn’t have been simpler or more inexpensive — 22 cents worth of flour, water, and salt. The recipe called for a filling of peavines, but I decided against a trip to the Asian markets and instead used $1.15 worth of the chard that I had bought on my run to Trader Joe’s, along with a 25 cent onion and a bit of bulk cumin and cayenne and salt.

I made a batch of dough early in the afternoon, but by cooking time I was running into the dinnertime limitations I struggle with even when cost isn’t such a concern: Me needing to be around a sharp knife and a hot stove when time is short and the children are hungry. So I did this: I fed each one a banana (19 cents apiece). I fed the toddler, who we once nicknamed “BPB” (it sounded more polite than “bottomless pit baby”) a second banana. And I managed to remember that lesson I keep relearning, that cooking with kids is just another, more practical, version of playing with them.

 

So they managed to flatten the balls of dough into disks and dredge them in flour, and to roll them out on parchment paper. If their final dough circles were a little thick, and a little rippled or oval-shaped, that was OK; so were some of mine. Then I freed them up — OK, I bribed the older one to play with the little guy — while I studied the frying instructions. And that’s when I blew up the day’s Hunger Challenge budget: I had neglected to think about the cost of four cups of peanut oil, even Planters-brand, which is what I had in my cabinet. I didn’t have quite enough of even that, so I mixed it with Wesson’s canola. (Safflower oil has a higher smoking point, but I knew I couldn’t afford to use the organic brand I had in stock.) I don’t have the cost basis of those oils, but it certainly added up to more than the rest of the <$2 recipe put together. It’s only thanks to our predictable oatmeal and sandwiches — and my husband’s generous “no” when a co-worker asked if he wanted takeout lunch from El Riconsito — that we stayed under our daily limit at all.

The mechanics of frying were far simpler than I had expected; I’m not sure why the concept has intimidated me all these years. (Donuts, here I come!) I used my standard kitchen thermometer to note when the oil was between 325 degrees and 350 degrees. I started off easing the turnovers into the pot with a slotted spoon, but did splash myself with a drop of oil turning one over (not as bad in reality as the fear) and then switched to long tongs, which worked perfectly.

 

The later ones seemed to absorb more oil than the first few — I would monitor the temperature more carefully on later attempts — but they tasted quite good in the end. The kids loved eating their handiwork. But then came another problem: They weren’t substantial enough for a full dinner. So I fell back on the fish plan, more or less. I took some extra dough, rolled it out flat in makeshift mini-pizzas brushed with olive oil and a few spoonsful of canned Hunt’s tomato sauce (about a dime’s worth, from a 26.5-ounce can on sale for $1) and about $1 worth of grated cheese, then added the fish that seems to be one of the few to hit all the acceptable points of eating from the ocean these days: A $1.99 tin of sardines. They went into the oven for about 10 minutes at 425 degrees, and the rest of dinner was done.

 

 

 

Here’s the recipe for the turnovers:

Uigher Pastries With Pea Tendrils

Dough:

1 cup all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached, plus extra for surfaces

1/2 teaspoon salt

Scant 1/2 cup lukewarm water

Filling:

1/2 pound pea tendrils or other leafy greens (note: I used a mix of chard)

1/4 cup grated onion 

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of cayenne

1/2 teaspoon salt

Peanut oil for deep-frying (2 to 4 cups)

Make the dough an hour or more before you wish to fry the breads. Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly to mix. With the blade running, slowly add the lukewarm water through the feed tube until a ball of dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for several minutes, until smooth and elastic. Let rest, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 30 minutes, or as long as 12 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Bring a large pot opf water to a rolling boil. Add the pea tendrils and stir with a wooden spooon to push them into the water so they are all immersed. Cook until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain well in a colander and let cool for a moment.

PLace the greens on a cutting board and chop them with a cleaver or chef’s knife, chopping first in one direction at 1/4-inch intervals and then in the other direction until finely chopped (you should have a generous 1 cup chopped greens.) Place the greens in a bowl, add the onion, cumin ,cayenne, and salt, and use a fork to blend well. Set aside. If you make the filing more than 20 minutes ahead, a little liquid will drain from it; pour this excess off and press the filling to squeeze out any remaining liquid before placing the filling in the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Cut it in half and set one half aside. Cut the other half into 6 equal pieces, by cutting it in half and then cutting each half in three pieces. Roll each piece into a ball between your lightly floured palms, then lightly flatten into a disk and flour both sides. Set aside while you shape the remaining dough, to give a total of 12 disks.

With your fingertips or a rolling pin, flatten one disk out to a 4-inch round. Repeat with 5 more dough disks. Place 1 slightly rounded tablespoon filling in the center of 1 round. Fold the dough over to make a half-moon shape and press the edges together to seal in the filling. To ensure that the seal holds, pinch all along the edge, twisting slightly with each pinch. Flatten the bread gently with the palm of your hand to push the filling out to the seam, and then set on a parchment-lined or lightly floured baking sheet or work surface. Repeat with the remaining rolled-out rounds, then repeat with the remaining 6 dough disks and filling. Set aside while you ready your deep-frying arrangement.

Place a large wok or deep pot on the stovetop (or use a deep fryer); make sure your wok or pot is stable. Pour in 1.5 to 2 inches of oil (3 inches or more if using a deep fryer) and heat the oil over medium-high heat. Put out a slotted spoon or mesh skimmer. To test the temperature of the oil, hold a wooden chopstick vertically in the oil, with the end touching the bottom of the pot. If bubbles come bubbnling up along the chopstick, the oil is at temperature. The oil should not be smoking; if it is, turn the heat down slightly and wait for a moment for it to cool, then test again with the chopstick. (A deep-fry thermometer should read 325 to 350 degrees.)

Slide one half-moon into the oil, wait a moment, and then slide in a second. The oil will bubble up around them. After about 30 seconds, use the slotted spoon or skimmer to gently turn them over. Continue to cook until they are a rich golden brown all over, 50 seconds to 1 minute. Lift them out of the oil, pausing to let excess oil drain off, then place on a plate or rack. Repeat with the remaining half-moons in batches until all are cooked.

Serve hot or warm (We also love the texture of room-temperature half-moons).

–From “Beyond The Great Wall” by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid