So we've done a few courses for a Chinese meal so far. There's the Orange Chicken and the Ham Fried Rice, so now we need an appetizer. And what better to make than some cream cheese wontons. These little bundles of goodness are absolutely delicious and extremely easy to make. And wontons are fun to work with! You can cut them into small strips and use them to dip into sweet and sour sauce, kind of the 'chips and salsa' of the Chinese world. You can also drop those fried strips on top of an egg drop or hot and sour soup or a salad for a little extra crunch. You can make little appetizers by putting almost any filling inside and performing a quick fry. You can make a large appetizer or little meal by putting a larger portion inside two of them sealed together and then either frying or baking them. What do you think those pizza bites in the frozen aisle of the store are? Basically, using wontons is like making food origami with a surprise inside.
Finding the wonton wrappers in your local supermarket can be a little tricky. They are cut into small 3"x3" sheets, stacked on top of each other and in a package similar to american cheese slices. And they need to be refrigerated, so they won't be in the normal Asian area of the grocery store. At Harmons and Smiths, they are located where you find the loose mushrooms and the bagged salads. If you can't find them, ask the nice folks up front and they'll guide you. But... if you really want an adventure... find an Asian grocery store and buy them there. They are usually cheaper, and the entertainment value of walking through the aisles is definitely worth the time. You'll find all sorts of great food items you've never seen or heard of. Also, you'll get the genuine article when it comes to curry, exotic seafood, and all the ingredients you'd need for homemade sushi. And find the soup aisle so you can see 157 different type of ramen meals.
Now there are a multitude of different snacks you can make with wontons, and I'll share a few more when tailgaiting season comes along. But to start, let's make the basic, and probably most well known variations, Cream Cheese Wontons and Crab Rangoons. The filling is very basic. It's softened cream cheese. We soften it so it is much easier to work with. Hard cream cheese can be cut into pieces and placed in the middle of a wonton, but I've found that it leaves bigger air pockets on the inside and it makes it messier to eat. And softening it allows you to add a few more flavors if you wish. You can punch them up by adding a little green onion, a half-teaspoon of garlic, garlic powder or ginger, depending on your taste, but it's not necessary.
Now comes the fun part, the folding of the wonton. These are all about presentation, so you want them to look nice and inviting. And doing something out of the ordinary always scores you style points with your dinner guests. Every folding method starts with the same step. Place about a teaspoon and a half of the filling into the center of the wonton wrapper, then moisten the edges by applying a small amount of water using either your finger or a pastry brush. The moisture and the starch on the wonton will create a glue that will stick together completely as long as pressure is applies to both sides. The easiest way to seal it is to fold it over from the opposite corner, creating a small triangle. Make sure to press down all of the edges to create a nice, tight seal so when they are frying, none of the cream cheese escapes.
Another way to wrap the wontons is into a little log, kind of like a tootsie rool. You place the filling the center and the roll it up like a burrito. Then you pinch thends together and tuck them under. make sure to mositen the exterior of the wonton where the ends tuck under to. This will ensure that the ends will stay in place and not open up in the oil.
The next way to wrap is to fold them into these little packages. It's just one more step beyond the triangle. You bring one opposite corner over to make the triangle shape and press together the outer edges. Then take the corners on the left and right side and fold them across. Moisten the wonton where the two sides come together so they will stick together
The final one I'll show you is the flower shape. These are a little more difficult than the others because you're working with all four sides at the same time. After you moisten the edges, bring the centers of all four sides of the square up to the top and pinch them together. Next, pinch the wonton together to seal it down by the cream cheese, not along the wonton edge. This allows the 'petals' to flare out when you cook them.
Now you can fold them any way you want. You could envelope fold them. You can fold all the corners up and crimp them closed so they look like old-time money bags. You could also roll them like above, but twist close the ends so they look like pieces of salt water taffy. They all taste the same.
One last tip. After you assemble them, put them in the fridge for 30 minutes if you have the time. They'll cook fine without the wait, but chilling them allows the wonton skins to bond a little tighter and the cream cheese won't be molten and scalding hot if you bite into them right out of the fryer.
Cream Cheese Wontons
Makes 20-25 wontons
8 oz. cream cheese
Package of wonton wrappers
Oil for frying
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon garlic, garlic powder or ginger or 3 green onions finely chopped
Soften the cream cheese by either leaving it on the counter or 15-20 seconds in the microwave to make it pliable. Mix in any other flavors you choose. Scoop about a teaspoon and a half of the cheese into the center of a wonton wrapper. Using a pastry brush or your finger, paint the outside edge of the wonton wrapper with a little bit of water. Next, fold up the edges of the wonton wrappers and press them together to seal them any way you like. Place them on a plate and let them chill in the fridge for at least 30 miuntes.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a large saucepan or turn on your deep fryer. Once the oil has reached 325 degrees, start cooking the wontons in batches, making sure not to crowd or they'll stick together. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Now making the Crab and Cream Cheese Wontons or Crab Rangoons is almost identical except you add some crab meat to it. I'd recommend fresh lump meat if you don't want to pull it out of a shell. There is crab mean in a can available at the grocery store, but it's not the best tasting meat in the world. You can get some fresh crab meat at some of the higher end grocery stores... Or run over to Market Street Grill and Market if you live in Salt Lake. It'll put you back all of $3.50 and it tastes great!
Crab Rangoons
Makes 30-35 wontons
8 oz. cream cheese
4 ounces crabmeat, either fresh or canned, whatever you have access to
3 green onions
1 package wonton wrappers
1 egg
Oil for frying
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon garlic, garlic powder or ginger
Soften the cream cheese by either leaving it on the counter or 15-20 seconds in the microwave to make it pliable. Slice the onions into very small circles. Combine the cream cheese, crabmeat, onions and any other flavors in a bowl. Scoop about a teaspoon and a half of the mixture into the center of a wonton wrapper. Using a pastry brush or your finger, paint the outside edge of the wonton wrapper with waters. Next, fold up the edges of the wonton wrappers and press them together to seal them and way you like. Place them on a plate and let them chill in the fridge for at least 30 miuntes.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a large saucepan or turn on your deep fryer. Once the oil has reached 325 degrees, start cooking the wontons in batches, making sure not to crowd the fryer or they'll stick together. Leave them in the oil for 2-3 minutes or until they are golden brown.
You can serve them with sweet and sour sauce, orange chicken sauce, cocktail sauce or hot mustard. I prefer to make a little spicy sauce for dipping...
Asian Spicy Sauce
4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon sambal oolek pepper sauce
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons hot chinese mustard
Combine all items in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
So make a batch of wontons and nibble on them as an appetizer, a main course, or just snack on them all night long.
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