Gone Won Ton!

After flipping through one of my Food Network cookbooks yesterday, I got the bright idea to try two things I've never done before: work with crab meat and make won tons. It was aiming a bit high, but not too high. After all, Starkist makes a pretty handy crab-in-a-cup product that would save me the trouble of finding fresh crab in a state that doesn't touch the ocean, and won ton wrappers are widely available in the produce department of just about every grocery store (yes, even Pick 'n Save). So while I'm not typically a fan of shortcuts, I was willing to take them just to dip my toe in the water of Chinese cooking (assuming you don't count my awesome Pork Fried Rice as Chinese cooking, which I guess you could).

Anyway, the recipe below is an adaptation of one by Tyler Florence. While a teensy bit time consuming, it was so worth the trouble. (But can you imagine if I had used fresh crab and had to pick through for shells?? Or made my won tons from scratch??) Plus, I have about a million won ton wrappers left over (because they're apparently only sold in packages of about 500) so I'll be making more tonight. And possibly tomorrow. And maybe the next night.

Fried Crab Won Tons
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 shallot, chopped
1 green onion, green and white parts, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Juice from 1/2 lime
4 oz. crab meat, flaked
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
12 won ton wrappers
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Cornstarch
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:
In a food processor, combine ginger, shallot, green onion, carrot, oil, and lime juice. Pulse until finely ground. In a small bowl, combine vegetable mixture, crab meat, mayo, salt and pepper. Stir until just combined.

Lay won ton wrappers on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush one wrapper with egg white, then place a teaspoonful of filling in the center. Fold over to create a triangle, pressing the edges together to seal. Bring the two horizontal corners together to form a bishop's hat. Set aside and repeat with remaining wrappers. Sprinkle won tons with cornstarch to keep them from sticking together.

Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Oil should be about 370 degrees for frying. (But rather than checking the temperature, I just stick the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and call it ready when small bubbles rise around it.) Using a slotted spoon, drop 2 or 3 wontons in the oil. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, turning frequently for even browning. Remove to paper towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining won tons.

Serve with soy sauce. (Careful, the filling will be VERY hot, even when the outside is cool enough to touch!)


These were awesome deep fried. The crab mixture had just the right amount of crunch and creaminess, and the outside was just a little bit tender and a little bit crisp. But this morning I remembered that I have potstickers on my recipe wishlist. And if I boil (or even pan fry) the won tons instead of deep frying them, I can definitely cross that recipe off the list! So guess what we're having with dinner tonight?!