Food from the Sun. Neven Maguire

       Chicken and Wild Mushroom Wontons with Chinese Black Bean Sauce

       Serves 6

      2 tbsp olive oil

      1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

      2 shallots, peeled and diced

      175g (6oz) mixed mushrooms (such as shiitake, chestnut and chanterelle), finely chopped

      1 tbsp butter, softened

      1 tbsp Madeira or ruby port

      120ml (4fl oz) double cream

      2 tbsp chopped fresh mixed herbs (such as chives, basil and flat-flat parsley)

      1 large skinless chicken breast fillet, diced

      3 eggs

      1 packet wonton wrappers (contains about 30 square wrappers), thawed if frozen

      1 pak choi

      1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

      salt and freshly ground black pepper

       For the black bean sauce

      2 tbsp Chinese black beans

      1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

      1 tbsp light muscovado sugar

      1 tsp tomato ketchup

      1 tbsp dark soy sauce

      300ml (10fl oz) beef stock (see page 212)

       This is one of the most popular starters in my restaurant. Packets of wonton wrappers can be found in specialist Asian stores, good delis and even some large supermarkets. The wontons are cooked in two stages, first poached and then steamed; if you don’t have a steamer, you could just place them in a pan of boiling water.

      To make the sauce, place the black beans in a bowl and cover with hot water, then leave to soak for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the balsamic vinegar in a large saucepan with the sugar, tomato ketchup and soy sauce. Cook on a high heat for 1 minute, stirring, then reduce the heat to low, stir in the beef stock and simmer for 10–15 minutes until reduced and thickened. Drain and add the beans, return to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, leave to cool completely, then cover with clingfilm and set aside until needed.

      To prepare the mushrooms for the filling, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, shallots and mushrooms, stir to combine, then add the butter and sautè for 5 minutes. Stir in the Madeira or port, 1 tablespoon of the cream and half the herbs. Season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.

      Place the chicken breast in a food processor with two of the eggs, half of the mushroom mixture and the remaining cream. Add two pinches of salt and blend to make a smooth mousse. Place the mousse in a bowl, then stir in the rest of the mushrooms and herbs. Mix well to combine and season to taste.

      Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and keep it boiling while you assemble the wontons. Lay out 18 wonton wrappers on a clean work surface. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl with a little water to make an egg wash. Brush the edges of each wrapper with the egg wash, then place a teaspoon of the chicken mixture into the centre of each one, being careful not to overfill. Bring all the edges up to meet in the middle and pinch together firmly to seal.

      The wontons are now ready to poach. Put them into the boiling water as soon as possible after filling them and poach for about 2 minutes until cooked through and floating at the top.

      The next stage is to steam the wontons, although this can be done up to 24 hours later. If you are preparing the wontons in advance, lay them out in a single layer on a tray and leave to cool. Cover with clingfilm and chill. Otherwise, you can steam them immediately.

      When ready to steam, arrange the wontons in a single layer in a steamer and cook for about 5 minutes until heated through. If you don’t have a steamer, put the wontons in a large pan of boiling water, cover with a lid and allow to cook for 4–5 minutes.

      Separate the leaves of the pak choi and trim down the stalks. Slice each leaf in half lengthways, then plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds; drain well. Heat the sesame oil in a large frying pan or wok and toss the pak choi until just tender and nicely glazed. Season with salt and pepper.

      Arrange some of the pak choi on each warmed plate, along with three of the steamed wontons. Add a small dish of the black bean sauce on the side of each plate to serve.