French Onion Soup Dumplings

By davidv

"Everyone loves French onion soup, so here's a delicious bite-sized twist on an old favorite." —David

Tip: There’s an easier way to make the dumplings in this recipe. Simply fold the wonton in half from corner to corner to make triangle shaped dumplings. Much easier—and quicker—than purses!

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks
• 3 whole eggs
• 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, julienned
• 1/2 white onion, julienned
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
• 1 packet of French onion soup mix
• 1/4 tsp salt, divided
• 1/4 tsp pepper, divided
• 1 package wonton wrappers
• Canola oil, for frying
• 2 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 1/2 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped (optional garnish)

Preparation

Step 1

Place the egg yolks, whole eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Set aside.

Pour the olive oil into a medium-size sauté pan set over medium heat. Place the onions in the pan and sauté, tossing frequently, until brown and caramelized, about 15–20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream cheese, onion soup mix, half the salt, and half the pepper with a rubber spatula. Stir until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into a bowl and allow it rest at room temperature for about an hour.

Once the mixture has cooled, clip a deep-frying thermometer to the side of a heavy, deep pot. Add 2" of canola oil to the pot and slowly heat the oil to 350°F. (You can also use your deep-fryer.)

While the oil is pre-heating, lay the wonton wrappers out on a flat working surface. Using a pastry brush, coat one side of a wonton wrapper with egg yolk and place a dollop of the cheese mixture in the middle. Bring all four corners of the wonton up then twist and squeeze the tops together to form a 'purse.’ Set aside. Repeat with the remaining wontons, working in batches until all the cheese mixture is used.

Whip the whole eggs until frothy. Dip each dumpling into the whipped eggs and then evenly coat in the breadcrumbs. Use tongs to place the dumplings in the hot oil—five at a time—and cook for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the dumplings from the oil and place them on paper towels to drain. Season each batch with some of the remaining salt and pepper.

When all the dumplings are cooked, turn your oven on to broil and let it preheat. Place the dumplings on an edged metal baking pan and top each with Gruyère cheese. Place the dumplings under the broiler until the cheese starts to melt, about 3 minutes. Remove the dumplings from the oven and garnish each with a pinch of chopped chives. Serve hot.