Cooking corner: Crab rangoon

David W. Cowles

guest columnist

Crab Rangoon is one of the most popular and delectable appetizers in Chinese restaurants.

There are only two drawbacks.

First, many Chinese restaurants no longer use real crab meat. Rather, they substitute surimi (imitation crab, usually made from pollack).

Second, the appetizer generally is quite pricey.

For those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest, we can easily make Crab Rangoon at home using the most scrumptious crab meat of all — Dungeness.

INGREDIENTS

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 cup Dungeness crab meat

2 scallions, sliced to 1/4 inch

Wonton skins (about 30)

Canola oil for frying

PREPARATION

Combine the first five ingredients until they’re smooth, preferably in a food processor. Stir in the crab meat and scallions by hand.

Place a heaping teaspoon of the crab mixture in the center of each wonton skin. Using your finger or a pastry brush dipped in a bowl of water, wet the exposed part of the wonton skins.

Pick up and press together the four corners of the wonton skins to make a “purse” with the crab mixture sealed completely inside.

Deep fry four to five Crab Rangoon at a time in hot oil until they’re golden brown. Drain them on paper towels.

Serve with a sweet-and-sour sauce for dipping. Suitable sauces can be purchased in jars in the Asian foods section of supermarkets.

Or, you can easily make a sweet-and-sour sauce by combining 1 (15 ounce) can of crushed pineapple (including juice), 1 smooshed garlic, one-half cup of granulated sugar, one-quarter cup of white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of ketchup and 2 to 3 teaspoons of corn starch.

Heat until they thicken, and stir frequently.

Reach David W. Cowles, the Fastest Chef in the West, at dwcowles-gateway@comcast.net.