God - we've been frying a lot lately...

So, some notes on frying - for two.

Every recipe for frying anything seems to be geared towards the large group - appetizers for twenty, it seems like.  

For Valentine's Day, my sweet husband and I decided to make a batch of Crab Rangoon and watch the first 8 episodes of "The West Wing" curled up in front of the TV with the dog.  I couldn't find a recipe for less than 48 pieces, about double what we wanted.  So I halved it, and bought the ingredients, and still had enough stuff for 48.  Here's how I made 28 out of enough for 48 Rangoon's.

1/2 package of wonton wrappers (put the other half away for a party later, ziploc in the fridge should be fine.  Plan on using this week - don't freeze them.)

1/2 lb artificial crab meat, or real lump crab.  (The canned is not good eats for this, and being in Alaska, real crab is pretty available, but the artificial stuff will taste like the Crab Rangoon that's usually served in restaurants.)


1 tub onion chive cream cheese

Here's the plan - blend the cream cheese and crab in a food processor until smooth (as smooth as it's getting, anyway).  Lay out the wonton wrappers on a cutting mat or wax paper.  I usually do 12 at a time, fits on my flex-mats well.  Put a good sized spoonful of crab mix on each wrapper - the recipe I found said no more than a teaspoon.  That's crap - put as much as you think the wrapper will hold, folded up.  

Now, get a small dish of water, and use your finger to wet the edges of the wrappers.  Fold them however you like, so that all the edges are sealed.  I bring all four points together to make little packages, but it's just as cool to fold them in half, or on the diagonal.  Depends on how fancy you want to get.  


Get out the sauce pan, a deep one.  Heat enough oil on medium so that it will cover the Rangoon, remembering that when they've cooked a little bit, they float.  Let the oil get hot before you put anything into it!  on my electric stove, on 6, in my pans, it takes about 12 minutes for me to be certain that the oil is hot enough.  At least, that's how long I set the timer for when I walk away so that I stop fiddling with it.  


Put in enough so that they are not touching but as many as you can get in with some spaces between.  Flip every two minutes, until the wonton wrappers look white and bubbly.  If you like a crispy Rangoon, cook for one more minute past that point.  If you like a softer shell, remove with a slotted spoon or fry basket.  Put on a plate or bowl lined with a double layer of paper towels. 


Open the plum sauce and enjoy!