Crab rangoons are delicious little fried wonton that are stuffed with a mixture of crab and cream cheese. They can also be accompanied by several other ingredients to taste, but are great plain. Most people who have had crab rangoon have had them in a Chinese food restaurant, but have never attempted to make them at home. They are actually quite simple to make, and the possibilities for added ingredients are nearly endless. If you would like to give it a try, here’s how you can make crab rangoon in your kitchen at home.
First you will need wonton wrappers. You should be able to find these in the produce department in your local grocery store. Then, you will need the filling. For this, you will need a 12 oz. package of cream cheese and one package of imitation or real crab meat. Using canned crab is not recommended, but if you have to, it will taste fine. You will also need a large bottle of vegetable oil.
Now, you do not have to make traditional crab rangoon or even use crab (great for when you cook for a vegetarian); you can use spinach, sliced celery or green onions. You can, of course, add one of these ingredients with the crab as well. Another great trick is to use flavored cream cheese. Some chive or vegetable cream cheese will really give your rangoon some extra flavor. Adding a dash of soy sauce can liven it up a bit too.
Once you have all of the desired ingredients (don’t be afraid to get creative), you are ready to make the filling. You’ll want to soften the cream cheese a bit. If you are in a hurry you can do this by wrapping the cream cheese in saran wrap and running under warm water for a few minutes (make sure you keep an eye on it). The crab will need to be shredded, if it isn’t already. You can do this by taking a fork and running it through the meat, until you get the desired size. Also, you will need to slice up any additional ingredients, like green onion or celery. Once all of this is done, get a large mixing bowl and simply stir all of the ingredients together. You can also do this in a mixer, if you have one.
Once you are done with the filling, you are ready to start building your rangoon. You will need a small bowl of water, a clean flat surface, a spoon and a pastry brush (you can use your fingers if you don’t have a brush). First, lay a wonton wrapper on a flat surface and scoop a spoonful of the filling onto the center of the wonton. Then, using your finger or a pastry brush, dampen the outer edge of the wonton and fold the wonton in half corner to corner. You will need to firmly press the entire outer edge, until it is sealed. Do this until you have used all of your mixture or wrappers.
Next, you will need to deep fry your rangoon. If you own a fryer, you will want to set it to 375 degrees. If you do not own a fryer, you can just use a pot and fill it with vegetable oil until there is enough for your rangoon to float in. This will also need to be heated to 375 degrees. If you do not own a thermometer, you can check to see if the oil is hot enough by breaking off a small piece of wonton and carefully placing it in the oil. If the wonton begins to bubble and cook immediately, you are good. Be careful the oil is not too hot though, or you will burn the crab rangoon. Once your oil is hot enough, carefully put the crab rangoon in and then cook until lightly brown on both sides. This typically takes a couple of minutes, but cooking times vary; watch them carefully.
Once they are done, use a pair of metal cooking tongs to remove them from the oil. You may want to place them on a paper bag or a small stack of paper towels to drain off the excess oil. Wait a few minutes before eating them because the filling will be much hotter than the wonton and you don’t want to burn your mouth. Eat plain or use your favorite dipping sauce. And that is all you need to do to make crab rangoon at home.
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