Crab Rangoon
I lived in Toronto for 20 years and I loved its diversity. It’s so vibrant and an exciting place to enjoy what the city has to offer. Within Toronto city limits, there are so many neighborhoods to discover like Yorkville, Kensington Market, Harbourfront, King West Village, Old Mill, The Beaches, York Mills, Chinatown, Distillery District, Cabbagetown, Toronto Island and many, many more. That’s the reason why Toronto got its nickname… “the city of neighbourhoods’”.
I met Michael in a bar and after a few laughs, we exchanged phone numbers and became friends. His roots are Chinese and through him, I discovered Chinatown. This area is so dynamic with its markets, little stores and restaurants. He made me try many foods, ingredients and dishes that I never had before such as White Radish, Lychees, Lotus Roots, Pomelo, Sichuan Peppercorns, Chinese Five Spice, Oyster Sauce, Xiaolongbao, Dim Sum, Biang Biang Noodles, Char Siu, Peking Duck, Moon Cake, etc. It was fun and deliciously interesting to expand my knowledge beyond the “westernized” Chinese restaurant that most of North Americans are familiar with…
On the other hand, when we go to our typical Chinese restaurant, we find the common dishes on the menu like Wonton Soup, Hot & Sour Soup, Gyoza, Egg Rolls, Sweet Pork Rib, General Tso’s Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Moo Shu, Mongolian Beef, Chow Mein, Mandarin Chicken, Spare Ribs, Pepper Beef, Szechuan Ginger Chicken, Fortune Cookies, etc.
Another one that is frequently on menus is Crab Rangoon! These fried wonton wrappers are filled with cream cheese, crab meat and other ingredients. Dairy products are rarely consumed in traditional Asian cuisine and obviously not an item to be found anywhere in China. Actually, this is an American creation that was first served at Trader Vic’s in San Francisco and has been a favorite ever since.
Despite my nickname (Minnie Mouse), when I make my Crab Rangoon, I want to taste the seafood not just the cheese therefore I’m generous with the amount of crab and use 2 cans of it. Most restaurants barely put any in the mixture and instead it tastes more like a “Cream Cheese Rangoon” than anything else.
These little guys are a great appetizer to serve to your guests along with a dipping sauce like sweet & sour, plum or even cocktail. They can also be made ahead and transferred to the freezer after they’re filled and formed. Thaw to room temperature prior to frying. Crab Rangoon is another delicious American creation that you can now make at home…
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other delicious seafood appetizer recipes…
– Prawn Saganaki
– Clams Casino
– Oysters Rockefeller
– Lobster Newberg
– Scallop Pineapple Ceviche
– Vietnamese Summer Rolls
– New England Crab Cakes
and for even more appetizer recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Appetizers
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Crab Rangoon
Hover to scale
Ingredients
- 8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
- 2 cans (10 oz.) crab meat, drained
- 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped (about 3)
- 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large clove garlic, pressed
- 1/2 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 18 square wonton wrappers
- 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying tips & tricks
Directions
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, crab meat, green onion, lemon zest, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir the ingredients well; taste and adjust if needed.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
- Working with one at a time, moisten the edges of a wonton wrapper with water keeping the other ones covered with a damp clean dish towel. Add 1 ½ tbsp. filling in the center.
- Gather the opposite corners and bring them together without pinching. Do the same with the other corners and bring them up to the center. Pinch the edges tightly so they’re sealed nicely; set aside while forming the others.
- In a heavy bottom skillet, bring the oil temperature to 370ºF.
- Working in batches, carefully put the filled wrappers in. Fry them until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer them to a wire rack and set aside while frying the others. Makes 18 rangoons.
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