Crab Cheese Wontons!!!

CRAB CHEESE WONTONS!!!!

OMG, these are so frickin good, you'll lose your whole mind! I first made these several years ago and get requests for them all the time. I don't make them very often since they're not exactly up there on the nutrition charts but hey, you only live once, and it's OK to get dirty every know n then.

I like to make the filling in the morning or even the night before to get the flavors all intermingled and that way it's a nice solid clump in the center of your wrapper making it less likely to seep out when you fry em.

Start off with a big bowl filled with your softened cream cheese. I get the whipped kind so it's that much easier to work with and let it sit out at room temp til it gets nice n soft.







Now, I'd like to say that I always use fresh lump crab meat but it's not always in the cards, so although I'm not exactly confident in the contents of imitation crab, you'll never notice.









Next, for my secret ingredient.... Lemon Zest!!!
Makes all the difference in the world, and I use a lot of it!
I love getting a little lemony zing when the yummy dipping sauce meets the crispy wonton in my mouth...mm mmm!

Next, add a the juice from that whole lemon, some soy sauce and your spices. Stir that all up real good, your gonna need a sturdy spoon or even a large serving fork to get everything all mashed together and the crab shredded. It's pretty stiff even though you softened the cheese.

This recipe is very loose as far as the amount off each spice added, simply because...I never measure anything. I go purely by taste for most things, so just tweak it til you like it! I like mine to have a little kick but feel free to experiment and see what you like. Once it's all mixed up, cover and refrigerate until it's time to make the wontons.

 If you set yourself up a little work space, this is going to go much smoother. Make room for your bowl, a little mat or cutting board, a little bowl of water (for moistening the edges of your wonton skins), and a plate for the finished product. Start adding a little dollop of filling to the center of each skin, I used round ones this time, but have had great success experimenting with the small and large squares as well. Don't add too much or it'll just squish out the sides when you pinch it together. Once you do a few of em, you'll figure it out.

Dip your finger in the water and swipe it around the edge of one side

Fold each skin in half and pinch around the edges. After you have a good seam, hold them upright and kind of pat them down on the mat so that they stand up on their own, seam facing up. You can just leave them on their side too, I just like the way they look when you stand em up.

And here you have a whole heap of goodness all ready to go! If you're not going to cook them right away, put em in the fridge so they don't become loose.

This recipe makes around 3 dozen wontons, but sometimes I double it up and freeze some for later.

Now heat up your oil, about 1/4 cup should do.  I use canola oil for things like this since it has a higher smoking temp, you're a lot less likely to burn them that way. 

It's hot enough when a little splash of water dances on top of the oil. Gently place your wontons in the pan one by one, being careful not to overcrowd. Flip them once they start to turn a nice golden brown, then place on a paper towel to drain.

Yum!! Crispy goodness! A little dark this time, but delicious, none the less.

CRAB CHEESE WONTONS!!

8 oz Whipped Plain Cream Cheese
8 oz Imitation Crab Meat (I think "legs" shred the best)
Zest of 1 Lemon or more
Juice of said lemon
1 Green Onion, chopped
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Fresh Ginger, minced
Cayenne Pepper
Chinese 5 Spice
1 TB or so Soy Sauce
Toasted sesame Seeds
S&P

Sesame Soy and Wasabi Cream Sauces

As far as the sauces go, I'm a dipper. I like variety and these 2 sauces go awesome together. Again, no measurements here, just toss it all together and season to taste.

Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce

2 parts Soy Sauce
1 part Sesame Oil
A little Balsamic if you have it
Some honey to thicken and sweeten
Sesame Seeds (I grind mine in a nifty lil grinder that I'll show u later)
Red Chili Flakes
Chinese 5 Spice Seasoning
Fresh Ginger
S&P

Wasabi Cream Sauce

A.K.A. the best thing in the world

2 parts Sour Cream or Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt

1 part Mayo

Wasabi Paste or Powder

Lemon Juice

Splash of Soy Sauce

S&P

If using Wasabi Powder, mix a tiny bit in warm water and add slowly until it's the temperature that you (and anyone else eating) can handle. It will intensify if you refrigerate it but you can always dull it down if you make it too hot with a little more Sour Cream.
If using paste, just add it straight, bit by bit to cream mixture.

I dare you not to devour these, they kick ass!