Crab-Stuffed Won Tons w/Peach Gastrique

[KYHeirloomer]

On our annual fishing trip to the Outer Banks last week we did incredibly well on crabs. Heck, with six traps between us it should be no surprise. In fact, the catch was so good we did more crabbing than fishing.



Most of the keepers were just at the legal 5” size, but there were enough 6” and better ones to make anyone happy.


Plenty of crab meat for traditional dishes and to do some experimenting. Along the way I came up with this recipe---a more or less take on Crab Rangoon---and thought I’d share it.


Crab Stuffed Won Tons With Peach Gastrique


1 lb crab meat
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbls broad leaf parsley, minced
½ cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
5-6 glugs hot sauce
1 tbls prepared horseradish
Old Bay seasoning to taste
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
Oil for frying
Half package (more or less) won ton wrappers
Peach gastrique

Combine the mayo, parsley, eggs, hot sauce, horseradish, Old Bay and cream cheese until well blended. Add the crab meat and bread crumbs and fold in gently until mixed well.

Put a heaping teaspoonful of the mixture in the center of a won ton wrapper. Brush two edges of the won ton with water, and fold in half, point to point, to make a triangle. If wanted, fold-in the points.

Fry the won tons in hot oil until browned and crisp. Drizzle each serving with some of the peach gastrique.

Peach Gastrique


1 cup peach cider
Scant ½ cup red wine vinegar
1-2 tbls sugar

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to boil, lower heat, and reduce at a fast simmer until syrupy.

Normally I’d use a cookie cutter to make the won ton wrappers into rounds instead of squares, but I hadn’t brought one on the trip. But they worked out well as triangles, even though the points tend to crisp up faster than the middle.

[allie]

Those sound good! I love crab rangoon but have never tried to make it myself.

Question: Where do you get peach cider? I'm not familiar with it.

[KYHeirloomer]

I wasn't either, Allie.

On the way to and from the shore we stop at a rather large family farm market called Morris Farm Market (which, as it turns out, sells over the internet: www.MorrisFarmMarket.com) where we always find something new and differentm particularly in the value-added departments.

This year is was various fruit ciders, including peach, blueberry, blackberry, and strawberry.

On the way home we stopped for lunch somewhere in West Virginia. Next to the restaurant was an Amish food store. We went in to browse and, surprise surprise, they also had these fruit ciders.

So, I suspect they'll be showing up in other places soon enough. But, if not, check out Morris' webpage.

[KYHeirloomer]

One other thing, Allie. If you make these, don't expect them to taste like the Crab Rangoon you get at the Chinese buffets.

My version has only half the amount of cream cheese, for instance. And uses different herbs and spices. For my version, imagine a crab-cake mixture with the addition of some cream cheese, and you'll be closer to it.

But the stuff you get in the buffets doesn't come close, either, as it's mostly cream cheese with just a hint of crab (usually the artificial stuff)and little else. Here is a more traditional version of a Crab Rangoon filling:

1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbls minced onion
1/2 cup bok choy, chopped
1 tbls chopped pea pods

These ingredients get sauteed, then mixed with 6 ounces of crab meat, an 8 ounce pkg cream cheese, and a tbls soy sauce.

The Trader Vic's version is wildly different too---but, then again, what isn't? Among other things, it's based on Dungeness crab. The Trader Vic's filling calls for:

8 ounces Dungeness crabmeat
8 ounces cream cheese at room temp.
2 tsp A-1 steak sauce
1 large egg

The finished crab rangoon are severd with two dipping sauces and garnished with edible flowers.

[allie]

I'll check out that page. Since I live not far from Amish country, Indiana, maybe I need to head over in that direction and see if they have it at the summer farmer's market. That would be nice!

No biggie on it not being like what I get when I eat out. I love cream cheese but in the restaurant version, it's overwhelming cream cheese and little flavor otherwise. Imitation crab is highly overrated.....just tastes like strong fish and not very good fish either! When I read your recipe, the first thing that crossed my mind is jazzed up crabcake with cream cheese. lol

Edited to add: Several years ago, I had crab rangoon at a restaurant that was more spicy and had a better all around flavor than most. There was a good bit of cream cheese but that wasn't the main flavor you got. It's been so long since I had it that I have no idea how to figure out what made it taste so much better. That restaurant has since closed and I never had a chance to eat there more than once. I wonder if they closed because none of their food was like the generic Chinese that is so prevalent in this general area?

[linguini]

If anyone is interested in Fried Vegetarian Wonton, here it is ...

Fried Vegetarian Wonton

orientalcookbook.co.uk/chinese.php?recipe=3

[elizabethbryce@]

Thank you for the recipe, KYHeirloomer...I love sea foods but I never really get to like the crab rangoon that we buy at a Chinese takeaway so I never really made it, but I will try your recipe. I might like it, who knows? Anyway, thanks for sharing...