Finger Food That’s Hard to Resist

Who could resist these? They combine the crunch of jicama with the smooth briny flavor of shrimp. Throw in the rich sweetness of pork, and the wild flavor of shiitake mushrooms. Twist it up in a won ton wrapper and fry until crispy. All that--and then you get to eat them with your fingers.

SHANGHAI SHRIMP BOATS

1 pound large raw shrimp

1/2 pound ground pork

1/4 cup finely chopped peeled jicama

1 egg

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh or reconstituted shiitake mushrooms

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Salt, pepper

1 package won ton wrappers

Oil for deep frying

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Clean, devein and butterfly shrimp.

Combine pork, jicama, egg, green onion, mushrooms and soy sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place 1 shrimp flat on each won ton wrapper. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon filling on top of shrimp. Fold won-ton wrapper diagonally, with shrimp tail exposed. Seal edges. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry shrimp won tons, few at time, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce. Makes about 21 appetizers, 4 to 6 servings.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

6 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 tablespoons vinegar

3/4 cup water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger root and/or garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons catsup

Combine sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, salt, ginger and catsup in saucepan. Mix well until smooth. Heat to boiling. Simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes, stirring constantly.