OMG Appetizer: Crispy Crab Rangoon

Every once in awhile, I second guess a magazine purchase, and I end up with a recipe like this … an OMG if I ever had one, that totally makes the magazine cost worth every penny.  Heck, it even made the groceries for the entire trip (let alone the ingredients for the recipe) worth every penny.  Remember awhile back I told you about the Baked Crab Rangoons that The Neighbor Husband made?  This blows that one to bits.  To smithereens.  I promise you.

Crab Rangoon is a popular appetizer found at Chinese restaurants.  Fried little suckers that are filled with smooth and warm crab-studded melty cream cheese, they’re a great way to start off a take-out meal.  Not all Chinese restaurants have them, though; out of our five local places, two of them make it.  Go figure.  But after you’ve made these, you won’t order them again.

Yes, they’re fried, so no, they’re not the healthiest of choices but a) you’re not having them every day and b) they fry really quickly so I felt less guilty about it.  I also used a lighter oil and drained them on paper towels once they came out of the pan.  I am totally making these for our Chinese New Year get-together.

For New Years’ Eve, we had our traditional (now 10+ years and counting) annual seafood feast, and this was one of the dishes.  I loved that we were able to end 2008 with an OMG recipe – that seems perfect to me.  It joined the table along with Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Coconut Fried Shrimp, Lobster Tails with Melted Butter, Scallop Casserole, Shrimp Cocktail, Shrimp Toast,  Weight Watchers Crab Cakes, and OMG Mussels.  I feel like I’m forgetting something…

You know how infrequently I give out my OMG classification on a recipe … it’s reserved for only the eyes-roll-back-in-your-head, moan inducing type of bite, and this recipe for Crispy Crab Rangoon is that.   I was expecting them to be heavy and a little greasy since they’re fried, but I think the key is they fry for literally just a minute, even less when you flip them.  They were so light, so tender, so crisp, so good.  Try them.  You won’t be disappointed.

Crispy Crab Rangoon
Recipe courtesy of Simple and Delicious magazine (special Appetizers issue)

1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped imitation crabmeat
1 teaspoon minced garlic
16 wonton wrappers (usually found in produce department near the sprouts and herbs)
oil for frying
sweet-and-sour sauce (I took advantage of all our leftover duck sauce from take-out and used that)

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add the onions, crab and garlic.

Place about 1-1/2 teaspoons in the center of a wonton wrapper.  (Keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use.) Moisten edges with water; fold opposite corners over filling (making sealed triangle) and press to seal.  Repeat.

In a skillet, heat 1 inch of oil to 375.  Fry wontons for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown, turning once.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve with sweet-and-sour sauce for dipping.

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