My Uncle Stephan used to work at one of these restaurants and introduced our deeply Italian/Mexican/Scotts/Irish family to the tradition of Crab Puffs at Christmas time. Stephan was an addition to our family by marriage, and he has since remarried and moved on with his life. But the food he brought to our family still remains. All this to say, making Crab Puffs is a part of the culture of my family.
Living in a small town last time I decided to get Chinese food, I went to a place downtown. OUCH! The food was hot and fresh, but my stomach kicked me for eating there. The next day, I missed class I was so sick. All of this happened because I was hankering for Crab Puffs. When I told my chef friend, Ogie about it, he said, "Girl, you know better. You don't eat there! Make you some of your own crab puffs. You know how to make them. Don't pay someone else to do it for you."
So, yesterday, when I felt like celebrating learning something new at work, I decided to get my butt to the grocery store, buy the ingredients for Crab Puffs, and make them myself.
Well, some of this is easier said then done. I found the cream cheese and imitation crab meat (the real stuff was in a can and way expensive, thank you small town) easy enough, but I went through the whole store twice looking for won-ton wrappers. (These are little squares of pre-cut dough that you wrap your filling in and fry or steam. Delicious.) Finally, I went to the deli, and they told me they would be in the produce section with the tofu. Wow! Shows you how much tofu I eat, no? Anyways, after spending way too long in the store, I finally had the fixings for the Crab Puffs. So here's how.
This recipe was taken from About.com on 3/2/2010 via the link http://chinesefood.about.com/od/crabragoon/r/crabpuffs.htm?p=1.
Crab Puffs by Rhonda Parkinson, About.com Guide with italics by me
1/2 pound cooked crab meat or smoked salmon, lightly flaked (you can use imitation crab too)
1 teaspoon green onion, finely minced (go to town and kill it, it's all good)
1/4 pound cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon steak sauce (I used fish sauce, worked great)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves minced garlic (I used fresh, you can't beat the flavor)
1 pound won ton wrappers
1 beaten egg or 2 egg whites
3 cups vegetable oil
Here's the scoop: You are going to want to get your mess in place for this one (mise en place for all you high class cooks out there). Don't just add the ingredients as you go. Do this one like a pro. Take the time to actually dice the ingredients, flake the crab, beat the eggs, and surround yourself with your ingredients ready to go. This is a messy process. You're not going to want to beat the eggs after you get going. Take the time to set up, and it will go so much better for you. Just try it. PLEASE.
Preparation: Combine crab meat or smoked salmon, green onion, cream cheese, steak sauce, and garlic. Place 1/2 teaspoon of mixture in center of won ton wrapper (I was a little more liberal with mine; after all, the filling is the star of the show.); fold square over to form a triangle. Lightly brush the center with the beaten egg. Bring opposite corners together and press gently, so filling will be secure. (I wrap mine different. I make a frame around the filling that I put in the center of the won ton with beaten egg. Then, I bring the corners together like folding a blanket with the filling in the middle. Finally, I take the two ends, and join them in the center, making a cross shape over the filling. I think it looks pretty. If this is too complicated, just make sure your filling is surrounded by dough and not peaking out. If you're the only one eating it, it's all good.) Place the oil in wok and heat to 375 degrees for deep-frying. Deep-fry one crab or salmon puff and adjust heat downwards if necessary. Fry the rest of puffs until delicately brown, less than two minutes. Serve hot.
They were pretty much bomb! And I have so many left over, it's way better than going out to eat. So, if you're in the mood for some crab puffs, give this recipe a try. Remember, a recipe is a good place to start. If something isn't quite 100% like the directions say, it's all good. This is your food, so let your creativity flow. And until next time, happy eating!
No comments:
Post a Comment