Kimchi and Peanut Dumplings

We served a version of this dish for about 300 folks at the Farmer Mixer at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art back in March. It seemed to be a favorite of many of our guests. The great thing about it is that it's really simple with basically only 3 ingredients. I made kimchi from our recipe, but good-quality store-bought ingredients are fine here, especially if you're in a rush to make a great appetizer for a dinner party or just want to make yourself one super-stellar snack.

Kimchi and Peanut Dumplings

1 12-ounce package wonton wrappers
2 cups kimchi (drained, finely chopped)
1/2 cup chopped peanuts (roasted, salted)
2 tablespoons canola oil
chives, sesame oil (to garnish)
vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce (for dipping)

With a small bowl of water at the ready, place one wonton in the palm of your hand. Place about 1 tablespoon of kimchi in the center, and sprinkle a few chopped peanuts on top of the kimchi. Dip your finger in the bowl of water and run it along two edges of the wonton, fold it in half so it looks like a triangle, and pinch the edges so the dumpling stays closed. Place seam-side-up on a piece of floured parchment. Repeat until all kimchi has been used. (Know that it's fine for this part to be done ahead.)

In a medium frying pan (one that has a lid) over medium-high heat, heat a tablespoon of oil until it shimmers. Place 8 to 10 wontons in the oil. Once the bottom of the dumplings start to brown, pour in about 1/4 cup of water and fit the lid onto the pan. Remove from heat. Allow the lid to stay on for 2 minuets in order to steam the dumplings. Serve immediately garnished with chives and sesame oil. (Makes about 2 dozen dumplings.)