Shrimp and Cranberry Rangoon
Appetizers,  Delicious,  Holiday,  Snack

Shrimp and Cranberry Rangoon

If you have ever visited an American Chinese, which I presume many of you have, you might have seen something on the menu called Crab Rangoon. Crab rangoons are basically wonton skins filled with a cream cheese mixture of crab, onions, and other items. Once filled, they are sealed, and lightly fried. The end result is something so wonderful. The crispy out shell yields a smooth and warm cream cheese mixture, that is rich and delicious. Crab rangoons are probably one of my wife’s favorite appetizers, and as I have learned to make these years ago, I thought it would be nice to make these for my Christmas lunch, but with a twist.

Shrimp and Cranberry Rangoon

Instead of using crab and the standard cream cheese filling, I decided to use shrimp and an awesome cranberry and onion mixture that rocked the socks off of everyone at the party.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of wonton skins
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 inches of lemongrass, minced
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 cup of craisins, rough chopped
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 1 cup of water
  • 8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 egg with a splash of water mixed in
  • generous pinch of salt
  • generous pinch of pepper
  • 1 lb of shrimp, cooked and diced
  • 1 1/2 cup of canola oil

Begin by cooking your shrimp in some boiling water. They will turn color on you, and once slightly firm, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Next, get a large skillet out and add the oil. Bring to a warm temperature before adding in the red onion and lemongrass. Cook for about 7 minutes, then season with some salt and pepper. Add in your craisins, and sugar, and give a nice stir. Add in your water, and reduce until you have a nice reduced mixture, almost like a compote, or thin jam. Once reduced about 80 percent, remove from the heat, and let this cool until you are read to use. This can be made the day before if you desire.

Next, get a large bowl out, and add in the cream cheese, diced shrimp, and green onions. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Add in the craisin and onion mixture to incorporate everything. Let this settle and get the flavors set in. Feel free to taste and adjust any salt and pepper. Don’t get too excited at this point as you will probably want to continue eating the mixture by the spoonful!

Ok, so now the fun part. Heat a large skillet with the canola oil. Bring this to a medium-high heat. During this time, lay out your wonton wrappers, and brush the egg wash mixture along the edges. Fill each wrapper with a large tablespoon of the shrimp mixture. Top with another wrapper, and seal the edges, moving any of the air from the center of the wonton. Feel free to be creative and shape these any which way you want, just make sure they are sealed. The last thing you will want is to have your shrimp mixture floating in the oil! Continue the sealing process with as many shrimp rangoons as you would like to make. Typically you can fit 3-4 in the skillet and allow to fry.

Fry just until golden brown, then carefully flip over, and cook until a nice golden brown on the other side. Once cooked, remove from the oil and transfer to a strainer lined with paper towel to let any oil drain. Plate, and garnish with a bit of chopped green onions.

This appetizer is sure to please. The creaminess and softness of the craisin mixture is a really nice texture in your mouth.

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