A crispy snack, America’s favourite Chinese takeout

You may have had these creamy filled wontons like savory pastry at Chinese restaurants and probably didn’t know exactly what you were eating. Crab rangoons are like wontons and were invented at trader Vic’s, a Polynesian Themed restaurant at San Francisco Bay area. Crab Rangoon was supposedly based on a Burmese recipe but there is no proof of that. Rangoon is also known as Yangon, the former capital of Burma, which is now called Myanmar. Although the name of the dish and the place is same but there is no correlation between the two. Crab rangoon was served in America in the early 1950’s and since then, it has worked its way onto many Chinese American restaurant menus as an appetiser item. A classic American creation, these are basically cream cheese wontons with tiny bits of crab meat, deep-fried to golden perfection. My first encounter with this creamy puff pastry was at a popular Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles when I came to United States few years back. To me it was a wonton served without the soup like an onion pakora served without the Punjabi kadhi. The popularity of crab rangoon in America has not waned even after 50 years. Whenever a traditional dish crosses borders it undergoes a transformation based on the new geographic and demographics of the region. Similarly, during the Chinese food revolution in The United States, the Chinese dishes underwent an American transformation based on the local palettes, spice tolerance and eating preferences. Some of the dishes became so distinct from their authentic counterparts that they gained their own identity and became more popular than the original one. One such dish is crab rangoon. In other words, crab rangoon is just as American as apple pie.Crab rangoon is relatively straight-forward, with just three ingredients (cream cheese, crab, and wonton wrapper). Aside from wee variations in the ratio of crab to cheese in the filling, the biggest difference from restaurant to restaurant is the way the crab rangoon’s wrapper is folded. The part of the wonton that touches the cheese tends to be softer, and the wonton at the edges is crispy. While it might seem like simple food origami, the way that the crispy-crunchy wonton is folded weighs on the overall taste and texture.The rangoons are shaped in mainly three shapes namely- four corner shape, clutch purse shape and football flag shape. In the ‘four-corners’ shape, place a small dollop of filling in the wonton’s center, then pinch each corner and gather the filling in the middle. With this method, you get more crunch and a little less filling and soft wonton. Be careful not to over fry the rangoons it can quickly turn the wonton hard and ruin the overall taste The ‘clutch purse’ shape goes the other way on the crunch/soft scale. With this shape, the wonton gets a larger dollop of cream-cheese filling. The wonton itself is also pinched closed near the edge in a straight line, so that the finished rangoon looks like a lady’s handbag. This way ensures that the result is plenty of crab, cheesy filling with a softer wonton around it, and a small line of crunchy wonton sealing the filling. There’s less risk of over frying because of the small amount of cheese-free wonton area, but it could be a letdown for the crunch fans.The football flag shape is a balance between the crunch and the crab filling. This layout puts a medium-size dollop of rangoon filling in the middle of the wonton, then pinches it in the middle and twists, giving the appearance of those weighted yellow hankies that referees toss onto the field during football games. You end up with a nice, even balance between crunchy and creamy rangoon, and because the wonton is narrower than other folding methods, it’s easier to dip into those teeny takeout cups most places serve their dipping sauce in.Crab RangoonsIngredientsCrab Meat 2 cupsOil to fry 200 mlCream cheese 120 gmGarlic 2-3 clovesGreen onion, sliced 1 no.Sesame oil 1 ½ tspWorcestershire sauce 1 tspSalt to tasteBlack pepper to tasteWonton wrapper 2 dozenMethodHeat oil in a heavy bottom high walled skillet or frying casserole over medium high heat to fry the rangoonIn a large bowl combine crab meat, cream cheese, garlic, green onion, sesame oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper Combine well to prepare the filling for the rangoonTo assemble the wontons, place wrappers on work surfaceSpoon 1 tsp of the mixture into the center of each wrapper over the filling to create a trianglePinch the sides to seal the filling inside and repeat for the remaining fillingFry the prepared rangoons in the oil over medium heat or until golden brown and crispyFry for 1-2 minutes for each batch of rangoons and remove on a paper towel to drain of excess fat. Serve immediately with a dipping sauce or soy sauce