Hot Pot With Crab Wontons By Tyler Florence Food

STONE CRAB POTSTICKERS

Steps:

• Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl combine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger. Set aside and allow the flavors to develop.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white, vinegar, and sesame oil; season it with salt and pepper. Add the ginger, shallot, scallion, and cilantro. Pick over the crab to remove any stray bits of shell and to break up any large pieces. Fold the crab meat into the egg white mixture. Place 1 tablespoon of the crab mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper. Moisten the edges with water and fold in half to create a half moon shape. Pleat the edges between your fingers, making about 4 or 5 pleats. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.
• In a medium sized, flat bottom skillet, heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add half the dumplings, pleat side up, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown. Carefully add 1/4 cup water to pan, it can splatter. Cover and steam dumplings for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking until most of the water is evaporated. Clean out pan and repeat. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

FRIED CRAB WONTONS

Steps:

• Combine in a food processor the ginger, shallots, carrot, green onion, cilantro, peanut oil and lemon juice. Pulse until fine. Put vegetable mixture in a mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise and the crabmeat and season with salt and pepper. Be careful not to mash the crabmeat, you want that texture when you bite into the wonton.
• Lay a wonton wrapper on a flat surface and brush with the beaten egg white. Drop 1 tablespoon of the crab filling onto the center of the wrapper. Fold the wonton in half, corner to corner, to form a triangle. Press around the filling to knock out any air bubbles, then press the seam together to seal so the filling doesn't seep out. You can leave them this shape or continue on by brushing the 2 side points with beaten egg white. Lay your index finger in the center so you have something to press up against, then fold the 2 sides into the center, slightly overlapping, and press the dough against your finger with your thumb to form a tight seal. Lightly dust the filled wontons with cornstarch to keep them from sticking together and place them on a cookie sheet. (When these are folded they look like Pope hats.)
• Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a deep heavy saucepan to 370 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Add a few of the wontons to the oil and cook, turning them 3 or 4 times to get them nicely browned all over. Carefully lift them out of the pan with a slotted spoon and onto a paper towel-lined platter to drain. Keep going to cook all of the wontons.
• Stir together the dipping sauce and serve with the wontons.

HOT POT WITH CRAB WONTONS, BY TYLER FLORENCE

Steps:

• To make the soup: Remove the claws from the crabs and quarter the bodies. In a large stockpot, add the oil, ginger, shallots, and chile for 2 minutes until fragrant. Then add the crabs and miso. Cover with 1 gallon of cold water and place over medium heat; simmer for 30 minutes. In the meantime, you can focus on assembling the wontons.
• Heat a skillet over medium flame and coat with the peanut oil; add the ginger, shallot, and carrot, saute for 2 minutes to soften. Put the lump crabmeat in a mixing bowl and scrape in the ginger mixture. Fold in the green onion, chopped cilantro, mayonnaise, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Be careful not to mash the crabmeat, you want that texture when you bite into the wonton.
• Lay a wonton wrapper on a flat surface and brush with the beaten egg white. Drop 1 tablespoon of the crab filling onto the center of the wrapper. Fold the wonton in half, corner to corner, to form a triangle. Press around the filling to knock out any air bubbles, then press the seam together to seal so the filling doesn't seep out. Brush the 2 side points with beaten egg white. Lay your index finger in the center so you have something to press up against, then fold the 2 sides into the center, slightly overlapping, and press the dough against your finger with your thumb to form a tight seal. Lightly dust the filled wontons with cornstarch to keep them from sticking together and place them on a cookie sheet. When these are folded they look like Pope hats.
• When the wontons are all filled and folded, strain the soup broth to remove the solids and pour it into the hot pot. Bring the soup to a simmer. Toss in the shiitake mushrooms and the wontons; simmer for 15 minutes until the wontons are cooked. Add the lime juice and cilantro; ladle into soup bowls and serve.

CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the crab meat with the bread crumbs. Add the egg white, mayonnaise, sambal, chives, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the ingredients gently but thoroughly, taking care not to mash the crabmeat. Shape the mixture into 4 uniform patties; they should be moist and just hold together.
• Coat a skillet with vegetable oil and place over medium heat. Fry the crab cakes until browned, about 4 minutes each side. Serve immediately on a bed of arugula with Brown Butter-Tomato Vinaigrette.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. When foam subsides, add the shallot and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute to soften the shallots. Add the remaining butter and continue to cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, orange juice, chives, and sherry. Cook for 2 more minutes just to break down the tomatoes. Whisk in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve warm with Crab Cakes.

FRIED CRAB WONTONS

Steps:

• Heat a skillet over med. heat and put in a 1 count drizzle of oil.
• Saute the ginger, shallot and carrot for 2 minutes, to soften.
• Put the crabmeat in a bowl and scrape in the ginger mixture.
• Fold in the remaining ingredients (up to the wonton wrappers) and season with salt and pepper. Please don't mash the crabmeat - you want the bigger pieces!
• Lay a wonton wrapper on a flat surface and brush with the beaten egg white.
• Drop 1 T. of the crab filling onto the center of the wrapper - then fold the wonton in half, corner to corner, to form a triangle.
• Press around the filling and ease out any air bubbles. Then press the seam together to seal, so the filling doesn't seep out when fried.
• Lightly dust the filled wontons with cornstarch to keep them from sticking and then put them on a cookie sheet.
• In a heavy pot - or wok - heat 2 to 3 inches of peanut oil over med-high heat. The oil should take about 15 minutes to heat up.
• Sprinkle a tiny bit of cornstarch in the hot oil; if it sizzles, it's ready! (It should be about 350 degrees F.).
• Drop about 5 wontons into the oil, one at a time so they don't stick together, and fry for about 5 minutes, until crisp, turning frequently.
• Remove with a strainer or slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
• Let the oil come back up to temperature and fry the remaining wontons.