I’ve got a pool party to attend today! I decided to make a delightful finger food dish to share with new acquaintances. While browsing through my recipe books, I found the perfect recipe to make. This actually brings back memories to my younger days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Back then, my parents used to bring me to the cafe’s at some of the recreational resorts to enjoy the savory finger foods that they have to offer during afternoon tea times. This is testing my memory, for I cannot remember all that I ate … but the one that still lingers in my mind is the “Pie Tee” (Top Hats)! Perhaps, as a kid then, I was very intrigued by its form as it was quite an attractive dish. But I do remember it was extremely delicious too. I know of a Nyonya Kuih Pie Tee recipe @ Rasa Malaysia, but I didn’t want to deep fry anything in the kitchen. Besides, I just moved to Houston, and don’t have a lot of prized kitchen tools. The fiance lives on very basic kitchen needs as he doesn’t cook much (gee, now it’ll take me a while to build up my kitchen tools collection again). Therefore, I’ve decided to make the chicken salad in wonton cups instead, which is very similar to Pie Tee. The following recipe is adapted from “New Finger Food” by The Australian Women’s Weekly Cookbooks.
There are two parts to the recipe:
1. Making the wonton cups AND
2. The chicken salad
To make the crispy wonton cups, you’ll need to have a 12-hole mini (1.5 Tbsp/30ml) muffin pan, and ~50 wonton wrappers. Usually, I purchase the round (7.5 cm) wonton wrappers so that I don’t have to cut the square wonton wrappers. Lightly oil the 12-hole mini muffin pan, and gently push the rounds carefully into the holes. Spray lightly with oil again, and bake about 8-10 minutes in the oven using medium heat, ~350F (or until they turn golden brown).
The cups can be made up to 2 days ahead as long as they are kept in an airtight container to retain its crispiness.
Next, poach the chicken breast in a frying pan. Reduce the heat, simmer (uncovered) for about 10 minutes or until the chicken breast is cooked through. I usually run cold water through the chicken for a couple minutes as I drain the chicken. This gives the meat a more springy texture. Once it’s cool enough to handle, instead of chopping the meat finely, I prefer to bread the chicken with a fork, creating long, thin strips of chicken meat.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a closed jar and shake well. In a large bowl, combine the chicken meat, cabbage, carrot, onion, sesame seeds, and dressing.
Divide the chicken salad among the wonton cups, and serve immediately … yummy!
Be aware that if the salad mixture is very moist, the wonton cups will become moist at the bottom where it can break apart if left for too long. As advised by the recipe, serve it immediately once the wonton cups are filled. Enjoy!
RECIPE
2 chicken breast fillets (340g)
40 wonton wrappers
cooking-oil spray
1/4 chinese cabbage (100g), shredded finely
1 small carrot (70g), grated finely
3 green onions, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
DRESSING
1/3 cup (80 ml) peanut oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Little Brown Bag 
Excellent site. A lot of useful information here.
I am sending it to some buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious.
And naturally, thank you for your effort!
Glad to hear it helps! Thanks for visiting! 🙂