Crab Rangoon Burritos

S7 E07 | Cameron Whitcomb + Evan Honer | Crab Rangoon + Alt-Country | Something's Burning

Cameron Whitcomb and Evan Honer bring the alt-country energy into the kitchen while Bert builds his takeout favorite into something you eat with two hands. Homemade scallion pancakes get wrapped burrito-style around a loaded crab and cream cheese filling, then fried until deep golden, with a from-scratch sweet and sour sauce on the side.

Crab Rangoon Burritos

Ingredients

Scallion Pancake Wrap — Dough

  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup very hot water
  • 1/4 cup cold water

Scallion Pancake Wrap — Seasoning Paste

  • 1/3 cup AP flour
  • 1/3 cup peanut oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8-10 green onions, finely sliced

Crab Rangoon Filling

  • 2 blocks cream cheese, softened
  • 6 imitation crab legs, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup lump crab meat (more if you like it heavy on the crab)
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 2 green onions, finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 egg
  • Vegetable oil for deep frying

Sweet and Sour Sauce

  • 1 cup pineapple juice (canned or bottled, not fresh)
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 1-2 drops red food coloring (optional)

Extras

  • Sweet chili sauce
  • Sriracha

Steps

  1. Put flour and salt in a large mixing bowl; add hot water and stir with a fork or spatula to create a shaggy dough.
  2. Add cold water; using clean hands, start kneading the dough together in the bowl. It should come together and pull away cleanly from the sides after 1-2 minutes. If it isn't, add another splash of cold water.
  3. Flour your workstation lightly, remove the dough from the bowl and knead it on the floured surface for 5 minutes.
  4. Place the dough ball in a clean lightly floured bowl and cover with cling wrap; allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.
  5. While the dough rests, make the sweet and sour sauce: add pineapple juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup and soy sauce to a small saucepan over medium high heat; stir and bring to a boil.
  6. Add cornstarch and water to a small bowl; stir to create a cornstarch slurry.
  7. When the sauce boils, add the cornstarch slurry and the red food coloring (if using); turn heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  8. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool; set aside.
  9. Make the pancake seasoning paste: add 1/3 cup flour, peanut oil and salt to a small bowl; mix well into a thin paste.
  10. Slice the green onions and set aside.
  11. Remove dough from the bowl; knead it into a log shape and cut into 6 even pieces. As you work each piece, keep the others covered with cling film so they don't dry out.
  12. Working one at a time, roll out a piece of dough on a floured surface, turning as you go so it doesn't stick. Roll to about 10 inches long in a rectangular oval; it doesn't need to be perfect.
  13. Drizzle a generous tablespoon of seasoning paste across the top and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon.
  14. Sprinkle the paste with green onions and roll the dough loosely, starting from the longest side, into a long cigar shape.
  15. Press the cigar flat gently to remove air bubbles, then roll it up from one end to the other like a snail. Use a little paste to seal the end and press it down. Set aside under cling film.
  16. Continue until you have 6 scallion dough balls.
  17. Roll each dough ball out flat on the floured surface into circular pancakes about 8-9 inches round. Take your time, turn them as you roll, and flour your rolling pin so they don't stick.
  18. Place each rolled pancake between sheets of parchment so you can stack them without sticking. Set aside in the fridge.
  19. Place a Dutch oven half filled with vegetable oil over medium high heat and use a candy thermometer to bring it to 350°F.
  20. Make the filling: add cream cheese, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, green onions, salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl; stir to combine.
  21. Add the imitation crab and lump crab and gently stir through the cream cheese mixture; split into 6 evenish piles.
  22. Remove the pancakes from the fridge.
  23. Place a rectangular line of crab filling at the center of a pancake and fold it around the filling like a burrito: fold the left and right short sides up over the filling, press down slightly, then fold one long side over the top, tuck it under and continue rolling until the burrito shape is made.
  24. Continue until you have 6 burritos.
  25. Carefully place burritos in the hot oil and fry until dark golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a parchment lined wire rack and sprinkle with salt. Don't overcrowd; fry in two or three batches if needed.
  26. Serve immediately with sweet and sour sauce, sweet chili sauce and duck sauce.

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