Pranee’s Curried Crab Filo for Holiday Entertaining
It is not a fusion and there is no confusion, they’re just for fun. Enjoy crab rangoon for a festive time.
Crab Wonton from a Chinese Restaurant
I first tasted crab wonton, or crab rangoon, in a Thai restaurant many years ago. It tasted great, but I was confused because it was not related to any Thai food in Thailand, which left me wondering about its origin. When my assistant suggested that my Thai green chili jam would be great with crab wonton, I started exploring this dish and came up with the following fun version.
I rarely do deep-frying at home, so using filo dough was the way to go for me. It provides the texture of a fried wonton, but it is a crunch with less guilt. I always heighten the flavor of a crab dish with curry powder and green onion, but this time I used pineapple chunks as well to add an interesting sweet experience to a savory dish.
Last week I attended a Girls’ Holiday Appetizer Party. As we all surrounded a dining table filled with many kinds of appetizers, I was happy to see everyone’s expressions when they tried the Curried Crab Filo. It is amazing what flavors can be experienced in just one bite!
I like to make the stuffing the day before and chill it in the refrigerator. It is a good idea to thaw your filo dough then as well. Both will be ready for you the next day. The rest is easy. Just preheat the oven, wrap and bake.
Curried Crab Filo at Home Party
Curried Crab Filo with Thai Lime-Green Chili Jam
Yield: 36 pieces
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes
1 cup cream cheese 1 cup chopped fresh or canned pineapple, squeeze out excess liquid to get about ⅔ cup of pineapple ⅓ cup sliced green onions (about 5 green onions) 4 teaspoons Madras curry powder A dash of Thai chili powder 8-ounces crab meat (about 1 cup), squeezed lightly to drain out excess water 9 (17 by 12-inch) sheets filo dough, thawed if frozen ½ cup cooking oil 3 tablespoons Thai Lime-Green Chili Jam (see blog recipe) 36 cilantro leaves 36 sliced red peppers or red loganberriesPreheat oven to 375°F.
To make the filling, combine cream cheese, pineapple, green onion, Madras curry powder, and chili powder in a medium size bowl; mix well. Gently fold in crabmeat until combined. Yield: about 2 cups filling.
Take one filo sheet from the stack and lay it out on a work surface. Brush well with oil to cover the entire surface. Lay another layer on top and brush with oil again. Add a third layer and brush with oil again.
With the length facing you, place one-third of the cream cheese filling along the edge lengthwise from left to right to make a line of filling 1 inch by 17 inches. Fold the edge forward to make a roll. As you continue to roll, brush the dry surface of filo dough with oil. The finished roll should be about 1 inch in diameter. Using a knife, cut the roll into 12 pieces and place them on a greased baking sheet.
Repeat these steps to make two more rolls, for a total of 36 pieces. Place on the same baking sheet and bake until golden, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a platter and place a ¼ teaspoon Thai lime-green chili jam on each curried crab filo and garnish with cilantro leaves and sliced red pepper or loganberries.
Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
© 2010 Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen I Love Thai cooking Pranee teaches Thai Cooking class in Seattle areas, her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com
iLoveThaiCooking & Pranee's Thai Kitchen
Pranee's Thai Kitchen 