Deconstructed

Deconstructed food is on the way out.

Fifteen years ago, no one had ever heard of it. Ten years ago it was becoming popular. Five years ago it was getting overdone. Now, in many cases, it is just silly.

For those still not used to the term, a deconstructed dish takes they key ingredients to a more complex dish and presented them in a new way that makes you see the dish in a new way. When done well, it can be very interesting and a good way to highlight the building blocks of the dish. When done poorly the ingredients are either just put out as individual components without any form change, or you have a plate with a half of a carrot and a shaving of beef and potato and it is called stew.

I don’t really make much in the way of deconstructed food, but this recipe caught my eye. I like cannoli and not having to worry about making the shells was REALLY appealing. See my previous attempts here.

This was delicious. It is perfect for a party and is pretty easy to make.

A few ingredients here.

Mixing the filling.

Dropping in the wonton wrappers.

Drying off.

I threw some of the mini chips into the dip.

A rainbow of toppings.

So sweet and luscious!

Deconstructed Cannoli Chips and Dip

Prep Time: 0 hours 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 hours 20 minutes | Makes: 4 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• Canola oil, for frying
• 1 package (about 36) square wonton wrappers, cut diagonally in half
• 2 cups whole milk ricotta
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
• 3 tablespoons orange liqueur
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
• 1/2 orange, zested

Directions:

Fill a Dutch oven one-third full with oil and heat to 350 degrees F.

Fry the wontons in one layer, not overcrowding the pot. Flip the wontons once or twice until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the wontons with tongs or a slotted spoon and drain on a large wire rack set over a shallow pan. Repeat until all the wontons are fried.

Mix the ricotta, sugar and liqueur until well combined in a large bowl. Whip the cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks form, using a hand mixer. Fold the whipped cream and 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips gently into the ricotta mixture.

Add the ricotta-cream mixture to a medium dip bowl or 8-by-8-inch baking dish and spread evenly. Starting from the left side of bowl, make a row, from top to bottom, of pistachios, followed by a row of the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips, then the cherries. Grate fresh orange zest over the bowl and plate the wonton chips on the side. Dust the chips with sugar and serve.

Source: http://m.foodnetwork.com/recipes/recipe/656117