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| Chef Justin Aprahamian |
I was delightfully surprised to find a recipe for Manti, the tiny, boat-shaped, meat-filled dumpling. This particular version came from Chef Justin Aprahamian, who was recently awarded the James Beard "best chef Midwest". Naturally, I had to find out more about him, too.
Once I checked him out, I called Chef Justin’s restaurant, Sanford, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to ask for permission to post his recipe on TheArmenianKitchen. They were happy to oblige.
(By the way, I’m stillsearching for a mantimatic– the cute little rolling pin with blades appropriately spaced to cut dough into manti-sized pieces.)
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| Chef Justin's Manti, photo credit: Ralph Selensky |
Manti
by Chef Justin Aprahamian, Sanford Restaurant, Milwaukee.
by Chef Justin Aprahamian, Sanford Restaurant, Milwaukee.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Lamb Filling:
1 lb. Strauss ground Lamb
6 oz. onion – diced fine
1 clove garlic (about ¼ oz.) – chopped fine
2 heaping T Chopped Parsley
2 Tsp kosher salt
1 Tsp ground black pepper
1 Tsp ground fennel seed
Dough Ingredients:
3¼ c flour (and a little extra for bench flour)
1 whole egg
1 oz. (2 Tbsp.) melted butter
½ c. warm water
½ c. milk
½ Tsp kosher salt
2 oz. (4 Tbsp.) melted butter set aside for baking
Chicken Broth (recipe follows)
Yogurt for serving
Fresh Parsley – chopped for serving
Chicken Broth Ingredients:
2qt. chicken stock
2 oz. shallot – sliced
3 cloves garlic – sliced
4 fresh bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme
¾ oz. parsley stem – chopped coarse
1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ c. white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Lamb Filling:
Mix all together and refrigerate until needed.
Dough:
Combine in mixing bowl (except 2 oz. melted butter). Knead until smooth. Divide into two balls and cover with a towel to rest, 30-45 minutes. With a rolling pin, roll dough out to an even thickness of about 1/8”. Cut the rolled dough into squares of about 1-1/2”. Place a marble size portion of meat in the center of each square and pinch the ends together (around the meat leaving the top exposed) to resemble a boat shape. Continue until dough/meat mixture is gone.
Chicken Broth:
Gently warm oil in sauce pot, add all aromatics and sweat lightly about 1 minute. Add wine to deglaze and reduce until about dry. Add chicken stock and reduce by about a quarter (down to 6 c.). Strain and adjust seasoning to taste
To bakeput the 2 oz. melted butter on baking pan and fill with Manti. Bake at 375°F for 20 - 30 minutes, until Manti are lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Serve in chicken broth with yogurt and chopped parsley.
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