Crab Rangoon

By Addie

Q:
My favorite food at Chinese restaurants is Crab Rangoon. It seems like it would be fun to make, but I checked all the Chinese cookbooks at the library and there is no recipe. Can you help? Lidia

A:
Like you, I found no recipe in traditional Chinese cookbooks, so my hunch is that Crab Rangoon is a Westernized concoction. Most likely, it evolved from a dim sum adapted to use ingredients such as cream cheese. I did find a recipe in Trader Vic’s Pacific Island Cookbook (Doubleday, 1968) that gives the origin as Hong Kong. I’ve adapted it slightly here. I also used prepared wonton wrappers, readily available now in many supermarkets.


Most Crab Rangoon I’ve tasted was made with imitation crab, also known as surimi. I’m not fond of it, so I made the recipe with the real thing, but either will work fine. The filling is pretty basic; you might want to add finely chopped green onion or snipped chives, perhaps some chopped water chestnut for crunch, and/or a dash of hot pepper sauce or cracked pepper.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound crab meat (imitation surimi crab is usual in restaurants)
• 1/2 pound cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon A-1 Sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• You might want to add finely chopped green onion or snipped chives, perhaps some chopped water chestnut for crunch, and/or a dash of hot pepper sauce or cracked pepper.
• 1/2 About 1/2 pound wonton wrappers
• 1 egg yolk, beaten (or warm water)
• Peanut oil for deep frying (about

Preparation

Step 1

Have a damp towel ready to cover the wonton wrappers and filled wontons as you work. Place a heaping teaspoon of crab mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper. Moisten the edges with a little egg yolk or water. Bring one corner of the wrapper up over the filling to the opposite corner, folding at an angle so the points form two overlapping triangles. (Points should be side by side and about 1/2 inch apart.)

Pull the remaining 2 corners together so they overlap slightly, creating a frame around the mound of the filling. Moisten one corner with a finger dipped in egg yolk or water and pinch the two corners firmly together. Repeat with remaining wrappers. As each wonton is finished, cover it with the moistened towel. If the wontons must wait longer than 30 minutes before cooking, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Set a wok or large skillet over high heat and pour in the oil. Heat until a haze forms above it (or use a thermometer to reach 375 degrees). Deep fry the wontons, 8 or 10 at a time, for about 2 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Transfer to paper towels to drain. They may be kept warm for an hour or so in a 250-degree oven. Makes about 32 wontons, 8 servings.