Crab wontons make a tasty appetizer or snack food.
Like the fortune cookie, crab wontons, or crab rangoon as they are also called, are an American Chinese food, developed in the United States in the 20th century. Despite its western origins, crab rangoon has become a common offering in Chinese and other Asian-themed restaurants. If you've recently served crab legs or other whole or partial crab, crab rangoon is a good way to use leftover crab meat, but you don't have to use freshly shelled crab. Canned works just as well. You can even use fake crab sticks or pieces if you don't eat shellfish.
Instructions
Making the Crab Wontons
1. Mix crab, cream cheese and green onion in a large bowl. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste, roughly 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder.
2. Place 6 to 8 wonton wrappers on a clean, dry surface.
3. Spoon about 1 tsp. crab mixture into center of wonton wrapper.
4. Wet edges of wonton wrappers with water and bring opposite corners together over the center of the wonton. Seal the edges, creating a four-point star or cross. You can also fold the wontons in half to form triangles or bring all four corners together and twist to create a seal.
5. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and crab mixture.
Cooking the Wontons
6. Heat oil in wok or deep fryer to 350 degrees.
7. Place wontons in hot oil a few at a time, being careful not to crowd them.
8. Cook until the wontons turn a golden brown, about 2 minutes.
9. Remove wontons from oil with tongs or a spider and place on kitchen paper to drain.
10. Serve hot with sweet and sour sauce or your favorite sweet condiment. Plum sauce is a good choice, as is mango chutney.
Tags: crab rangoon, wonton wrappers, center wonton, corners together, crab mixture, garlic powder