What's on Your PuuPuu (pupu) Platter?

[sandylc]

Spelling aside, what do you want on your platter of goodies? More importantly, what are your recipes?

No picking about things like "authentic Chinese" allowed! We all know that Tiki food is what it is....right?

I'll begin:

Little Chinese Pork Ribs
Little Eggrolls (cabbage-style filling)
Something shrimp (fried, coconut, toast)
Beef Skewars
Cream Cheese Wontons
A Sweet Apricot-based sauce

I'm sure I'm forgetting something and I'm sure someone will remind me!

My shrimp toast recipe will follow.....

Ooh....and does anyone here make a mean MaiTai?

This sounds like a cure for the winter doldrums.

[alliegator]

I was going to do this project Sunday, but I'm going to wait until next weekend. Why, you ask? I need time for my platter and hibachi to arrive!
I've got to be the only person in the world who orders a mini hibachi thingy before I've changed out of my pajamas and finished my tea :P
http://search.retroplanet.com/search?...

[HillJ]

Very cool, allie! I can actually rent one locally from the party store but you have me tempted.....

[alliegator]

Hehe, I justified the purchase in my head because I could use a platter like that whether I'm Pu Pu-ing or not.

[HillJ]

Cute! A pp platter pick meup!

[EWSflash]

Sorry, alliegator, no you aren't- I've done it at least three times. So you're far more normal than me.

[alliegator]

Yay! I'm so glad this thread was started. Since I can get one of these things around me, I'm going to need to make it. These suggestions and recipes are going to be really helpful.
I found this for tiki style beef skewers:
http://www.meatwave.com/blog/grilled-...

[sandylc]

A fellow tea drinker! I knew there was something good about you - !

[alliegator]

Why, thank you :) There are a few of us out there (tea drinkers), just hard to come by. I just never acquired a taste for coffee.

[sandylc]

If it's really good coffee, I might have a cup with dessert once a year. I like coffee in baked goods, though.

[sandylc]

Shrimp Toast

1/2 lb. fresh raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup sliced canned water chestnuts
1 T. white sesame seeds
1 t. salt
1 T. cornstarch
1 egg
1/4 t. sugar
French bread slices or crustless, quartered Pain de Mie slices
Oil for frying

Put everything except the bread into the processor and grind to a thick paste. Spread a thick layer on the bread slices, tapering and sealing it around the edges.

Fry the toasts, filling side down first, until crisp and brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve with a jam-based sweet and sour sauce.

I haven't made these in years. Here's where some possible updating might happen: These days I would usually put some fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, toasted sesame oil, etc. into something like this. I honestly don't know which way I'm swaying right now!

[HillJ]

I'm making this Sunday, so excited!

[sandylc]

Cool! Are you doing the whole platter?

[HillJ]

Thank you for posting this and I look forward to your shrimp toast recipe.

My shrimp toast requires slicing off the crusts of texas toast and using a rollin pin to flatten the bread slices until they are thin and wide. I make a filling of raw shrimp, scallions, garlic, ginger and soy sauce and the yolk of one egg (binder) in the food processor until the mix is a thick paste. Then I place about 2 tsp. of filling in the middle of the bread and fold to a triangle. Peanut oil is heating in the deep fryer and off they go to a crisp golden brown. This was the recipe my bff's Mom taught me in high school (a lifetime ago) and I've never bothered to make shrimp toast any other way....and I'd love to learn a new version, some new ideas!

My puu puu platter would consist of:
Shrimp toast
Spring rolls
Beef on a stick
Chicken wings
Pork ribs
served with Sake

[sandylc]

Ah-hh...sake! Haven't had that in ages! Oops, I did have it a while back in an unusual fashion; we were at a Mexican restaurant that only had a beer/wine license and they made their margaritas with sake! Very creative and actually pretty good!

[HillJ]

I've had margarita sake myself, quite tasty. I like Sake both warm and chilled. I once had a ginger root Sake in Quebec that made me smile for hours! I soak rice in Sake and drink the liquid and it settles my stomach. Sake is fantastic.

Still waiting for that shrimp toast recipe...

[fourunder]

Still waiting for that shrimp toast recipe...

Regardless of the Shrimp Mousse recipe, the key to great Shrimp Toast is the bread used for the base. There may be cheaper or more expensive breads used....but to obtain, replicate a classic Chinese restaurant version for the best texture and crunch with deep frying, I recommend bread similar to Pepperidge Farms or Arnold White Bread, or Country White Bread. It has the perfect density and makeup without the added ingredients of other soft white breads.

[HillJ]

You're right the bread is key.

[fourunder]

A Pu Pu Platter found in Norther New Jersey Cantonese/Polynesian restaurants would consist of five items, or components with shrimp, chicken and pork.... and I would agree with the same list as yours in general....but with variations as well, e.g., but not limited to:

* Fantail Shrimp...batter fried
* Egg Rolls
* Beef & Pineapple or Teriyaki Beef & Green Onion Skewers
* Chicken in Foil
* Dim Sum

Special note....I also like your alcohol component.

[HillJ]

Chicken in Foil--you nailed that and I did forget about it. I can't say I ever remember pineapple anywhere on a puu puu platter and green onion skewers sound so fancy :)
Love your list!

[sandylc]

What's chicken in foil? That's a new one by me....

[fourunder]

Chicken in foil is Sliced Chicken Breast meat marinated in Hoisin Sauce or Barbecue Sauce....or any other sauce you can think of. You place the chicken on top of a sheet of foil and fashion it into a triangle and then double fold over the edges to create a seal. You must allow for at least an inch on all three sides to allow for steam. It's been a while since I have made them, but simply place onto a oven safe handle fry pan or cookie sheet/pan and bake for about 10-12 minutes @ 400-450....or until the foil expands and looks like a turnover. You can cook at a lower heat, but the higher heat setting will caramelize the sugars better.

Puncture or tear the foil and you are ready to go.

btw....you could certainly use dark meat as well if desired.

[MacTAC]

It was called Paper Wrapped Chicken in our local Chinese restaurants, and was always on the platter.

[fourunder]

Parchment Paper is not something a Chinese Kitchen would normally have on hand unless they offered baked desserts on the menu....baked in house.

[sandylc]

Yours is a unique recipe - I have never heard of folding them and sealing them like turnovers - I will have to try it!