Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Crab Rangoons



Makes 6 Servings

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3-4 green onions, chopped
2 cups chopped, cooked shrimp or crab meat--can be canned or fresh, imitation is ok too
Dash salt
12 egg roll wrappers (or wonton wrappers)
Egg wash

Directions:

Combine all filling ingredients and mix well...taste test to make sure it has enough salt. Arrange the egg roll wrappers in a "diamond" shape so the point is facing you. Place two tablespoons of filling in the bottom 1/3 of the triangle, then wrap like a burrito...roll over the filling, bring in the sides, then continue rolling until closed nicely. (Google has lots of egg roll wrapping illustrations if you need them.) Use a brush or your fingers to brush the egg wash onto the tip/corner of the wrap to seal it and ensure it doesn't open up during frying. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Makes six servings of two rolls each. If you prefer to bake, you can use wonton wrappers instead--those bake very well. The thin spring roll wrappers that we use from the Asian grocery do not bake well, but get very chewy. If you purchase an egg roll or wonton wrapper from a regular grocery store like Publix, then you will be fine to bake them. You can wrap as directed and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or you can line muffin tins with the wrappers and fill with the filling, then bake at 350 for 20 minutes. (This is definitely the easier, healthier route!)



We have tried to mimic the Crab Rangoons from the Chinese takeout restaurants several times and this is the closest we have gotten! The mayonnaise helps keep the cream cheese creamy and smooth without drying out and adding a bit of salt helps with the flavor. We like to make these for a snack or as an appetizer for a party. I like using the wonton wrappers and baking them in muffin tins--super easy and much healthier than frying.