King Crab Rangoon with Garlic Cheese Dip
Thomas J. Story
A tiki bar pupu platter mainstay, crab Rangoon was made with wonton skins stuffed with cream cheese spiked with Worcestershire sauce. It was often touted as a Burmese dish, though there’s not a lot of evidence to support that. Jew flips the script—stuffing spring rolls with crab, serving the cream cheese as a dip, and sprinkling it all with a Sichuan–Old Bay spice—landing it solidly in modern, mash-up Chinese America.
Serves 4.
How to Make It
1
Place the cream cheese and cream in a small bowl and stir until combined. Place Old Bay and Sichuan pepper in a separate small bowl and mix to combine. Melt 1⁄4 cup butter in a small pan over low heat, then add garlic and cook until soft and fragrant but not browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a medium bowl, whisk cream-cheese mixture and garlic butter until fully combined and smooth. Melt the remaining butter over low heat and set aside.
2
If using king crab legs, carefully remove from shell in whole pieces as much as possible. Cut crab into four 4-in.-long pieces. Place 1 lumpia wrapper on a dry surface. Place 1 crab leg piece, or 1⁄4 of the lump crab, on bottom third of wrapper and season with salt. Drizzle a little of the melted butter over crab and brush egg wash on edges of wrapper. Tuck both sides in and roll into a long cigar shape. Repeat with remaining crab and wrappers. Place rolls on a pan or plate lined with parchment paper and place in freezer to chill, about 15 minutes.
3
Place oil in a large deep-sided pot, making sure it doesn’t reach more than halfway up the sides. Heat oil to 375° over medium heat. Remove crab rolls from freezer and gently lower into oil, frying two at a time, until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Cut rolls in half on the diagonal, sprinkle with spice mixture, and serve with garlic–cream cheese sauce on the side.
Ingredients
¼ cup cream cheese
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
¼ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground using a mortar and pestle
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp. butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb cooked king crab legs or 1 lb. lump crabmeat
Lumpia wrappers, about 10-inch round
1 egg, beaten
4 cups oil for frying
Directions
1
Place the cream cheese and cream in a small bowl and stir until combined. Place Old Bay and Sichuan pepper in a separate small bowl and mix to combine. Melt 1⁄4 cup butter in a small pan over low heat, then add garlic and cook until soft and fragrant but not browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a medium bowl, whisk cream-cheese mixture and garlic butter until fully combined and smooth. Melt the remaining butter over low heat and set aside.
2
If using king crab legs, carefully remove from shell in whole pieces as much as possible. Cut crab into four 4-in.-long pieces. Place 1 lumpia wrapper on a dry surface. Place 1 crab leg piece, or 1⁄4 of the lump crab, on bottom third of wrapper and season with salt. Drizzle a little of the melted butter over crab and brush egg wash on edges of wrapper. Tuck both sides in and roll into a long cigar shape. Repeat with remaining crab and wrappers. Place rolls on a pan or plate lined with parchment paper and place in freezer to chill, about 15 minutes.
3
Place oil in a large deep-sided pot, making sure it doesn’t reach more than halfway up the sides. Heat oil to 375° over medium heat. Remove crab rolls from freezer and gently lower into oil, frying two at a time, until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Cut rolls in half on the diagonal, sprinkle with spice mixture, and serve with garlic–cream cheese sauce on the side.
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