Crab Rangoons

Crab Rangoons are a popular Chinese American dish of deep-fried dumplings filled with cream cheese and imitation crab meat. They have no crab and have nothing to do with the city once known as Rangoon (Yangon) in Thailand. They o great with sweet and sour sauce.

Method

Make a filling of cream cheese and minced imitation crab meat in a 2 to 1 ratio. Add a little salt and if desired, minced scallion.

Make a soft dough from wheat flour and water and and roll it thin. Cut out wonton sized squares. For each square, spoon some filling into the center and fold the wrapper over it in the shape of a triangle (or fancier if desired). 

Drop the dumplings into a deep fryer and remove when golden and crispy. Place them on a plate with paper towels to soak some oil.

To make sweet and sour sauce, heat up water, ketchup, sugar, and white vinegar in a small pot. When it's to your taste, stir in a small mixture of cornstarch in cold water to thicken it.

Notes

When eaten fresh, the fried dumplings have a crispy shell and hot gooey center. The sweet and sour sauce is great for balancing the greasiness. It also works well for making sweet and sour dishes later. Keep the crab rangoons in a monolayer when taken out the fryer to prevent them from getting soggy too soon. 

Crab Rangoons are a very Chinese American food. You'll see them as appetizers just about everywhere you see Chinese American food places, from big chains like Panda Express to small proprietorships like your neighborhood "Beijing Star Garden Imperial Palace" joint.