Salmon Wonton Crisps with Mint, Lemon & Ginger Green Tea: A Little Afternoon Tea Break

Afternoon teas often conjure up thoughts of scones and clotted cream and tiny crustless cucumber or salmon sandwiches. I like those afternoon teas but, I also like the ones that are a little different. I've gone to a chocolate fondue-themed tea with ice cream hearts and brownie bites to dunk in dark chocolate. Another tea place I frequent offers a salad and/or soup (the soups are always fabulous) to start things off and a house-made sorbet, granita, or ice cream to finish up--scones, sandwiches and pastry treats are in the middle. Several years ago I went to afternoon tea at a local hotel and the sandwich selection included a lightly curry-spiced seared duck on little flatbreads--different and memorable. So, wanting a little something unique for our "Time for Tea" them at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week, I chose to make simple Salmon Wonton Crisps from DonnaHay.com thinking that they would be perfect served with green tea flavored with mint, lemon and ginger. 

I made some adaptations to the recipe--subbing in Greek yogurt for the sour cream and dill for the chervil. Chervil is not an easy herb to find here and I love the classic salmon and dill pairing. I used Mandoo (Mandu) wrappers (Korean Dumplings) in place of wontons as I liked the circles Donna had in her pictures and it was what the grocery store had in stock this week. My changes are in red below.

These are easy and cute little bites made up of simple flavors and would also be excellent as a party appetizer or served with a salad as a light lunch. 

Salmon Wonton Crisps
Adapted from Donna Hay.com
(Makes 12)

12 wonton wrappers (I used round Man Doo Wrappers)
olive oil, for brushing
1/4 cup (60g) sour cream (I subbed Greek yogurt)
about 6 oz (180g) sliced smoked salmon
chervil sprigs, lemon juice and cracked black pepper, to serve (I used dill sprigs)

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC ). 

Place the wonton wrappers on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush with vegetable oil and bake for 7–8 minutes or until crisp and light golden. Allow to cool completely on the tray. 

(Mix about 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice into the yogurt.) Divide the sour cream yogurt between the wontons and top with the sliced smoked salmon and chervil dill. Sprinkle with lemon juice black pepper to serve. 

Donna says that this tisane (fruit/herbal 'tea') from her "Entertaining" cookbook is "a great body cleanser and pick me up." I make a similar tisane often and love it both hot and cold. To pair with the salmon wonton crisps, I took the recipe in a slightly different direction--hot instead of ice, using green tea as the base instead of peppermint, omitting the sugar, reducing the lemon and brewing it in my large coffee/tea press instead of a bowl. (OK--I guess pretty much just the flavor inspiration came from Donna's recipe.) ;-) My changes are noted in red below. As a hot tea it doesn't need so much lemon and, in my opinion, any sugar. I chilled the leftovers and plan to use it as the base liquid for my morning smoothies.  

Mint, Lemon & Ginger Green Tea 
Adapted from Entertaining by Donna Hay
(Makes 6 cups)

4 Tbsp peppermint tea leaves (I used Sencha Green Tea--loose leaf)
8-10 slices ginger
1/2 cup mint leaves
2/3 cup sugar (omitted)
6 cups (40 fl oz) water
1 cup (8 fl oz) lemon juice (I used about 2 oz)
extra ginger slices, lemon slices and mint leaves to serve

Place tea, ginger, mint and sugar in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Pour boiling water over mixture in bowl and allow to steep for 8 minutes, then strain. (Note: I placed the loose green tea, ginger and mint into a large French press, poured in the not-quite-boiling water and allowed to steep about 4 minutes. I then stirred in the lemon and served the tea hot with thin lemon slices and mint sprigs.) Stir lemon juice through tea and refrigerate for 2 hours or until tea is well chilled. Pour tea into a chilled jug and add extra ginger slices and mint leaves. Serve over ice.  

Notes/Results: Yummy! ;-) The wonton crackers are crisp and the creamy lemony yogurt goes well with the smoked salmon. The dill and cracked black pepper set it all off. Next time I might sneak a touch of wasabi paste in the yogurt and garnish with chives just to change it up a bit. They paired well with the flavors in the green tea and made for a nice afternoon tea snack. I will definitely make these again. 
 
Check out the Time for Tea dishes that everyone made at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week by going to the post and checking out the picture links.