Fried Vegetable Wontons

½ tablespoon vegetable oil ¼ cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 shallot) ¼ cup finely chopped carrots 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery ½ jalapeño seeded and finely chopped 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 2 tablespoons finely chopped mushrooms 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell peppers 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 18 wonton wrappers water and cornstarch for sealing wontons

Pour the vegetable oil in a 2-quart saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallot, carrot, celery, and jalapeno and sauté for about 3 minutes, until vegetables soften slightly. Add the garlic, mushroom, and bell pepper and continue to cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar and cook for about 1 minute. Taste and correct seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and allow to cool before assembling wontons. Filling can be prepared ahead. Cool and refrigerate until ready to assemble wontons. Prepare a work area equipped with small bowl of water and pastry brush, small bowl of cornstarch, large plate or cutting board dusted with cornstarch, package of wonton wrappers*, and wonton filling. On a clean, dry surface, line up 3 to 6 wonton wrappers at a time. Place ½ tablespoon of filling in the middle of each wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrappers with water. Then fold the wrappers. If using square wrappers fold into a triangle and then press the edges tightly with your fingers in order to seal the wonton. Then, fold again so that the points on the longest side of the triangle meet, pressing them so that they adhere. If using round wrappers, fold circle in half pressing with your fingers to seal the dumpling. Leave as is or crimp the edges using your thumb and first finger. Continue to fill the remaining wontons. Keep the prepared wontons on a clean tray or cutting board and dust them with plenty of cornstarch. Once finished, cover in plastic. Fill the CuisinartЄ Deep Fryer to the maximum line with vegetable oil. Preheat to 375F. When oil is ready, fry wontons in batches. Fill the basket, in the up position, in a single layer of wontons (about 3 to 4). Do not overcrowd. Lower basket into oil and fry for about 1 minute, until golden and crispy. Lift basket and let the oil drain out. With a pair of tongs, place wontons on layered paper towels to drain, and season lightly with salt. Repeat with remaining wontons and serve immediately. Serve wontons with a soy dipping sauce (recipe listed under Sauces and Dressings). *Note: When using wonton wrappers, it is important to keep them in their package or wrapped in plastic until you use them, as they can easily dry out. For shrimp wontons: Process 8 ounces of cooked shrimp with 1 egg white and stir into the cooled vegetable mixture before assembling wontons.