Crab Wontons With Szechuan Blackberry Sauce

Pellerin's Note:

Oh....my....LAND!!!! The Oregon Blackberry Council published this little gem of an hors d'oeuvre recently. Holy cow! We're all going to have to RUN out and buy some more blackberries TODAY! Worth the trip.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 36

Yield: 36.0 wontons

SAUCE

• ½ cup blackberry , puree from blended fresh blackberries
• ½ cup sake or ½ cup dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons honey

FILLING

• 7 -8 large spinach leaves (trimmed and washed)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 tablespoons onions , chopped fine
• 3 ounces cream cheese , cut into small chunks
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
• ½ lb crabmeat (cooked, flaked, REAL)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• Tabasco sauce (to taste)

WONTONS

• 36 wonton wrappers (apx.)
• peanut oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. To make the sauce, puree blackberries and mix with remaining sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil or medium-high heat. Cook until thickened. Sauce may be made a day ahead.
2. To make the filling, wash the spinach. With water still clinging to leaves, place in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook until spinach just begins to wilt and most of the water has evaporated. Empty onto a cutting board and chop fine. Set aside.
3. Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add cream cheese. When cheese begins to soften, add lemon juice and mix. Remove from heat and stir in crab, bread crumbs and spinach.
4. To assemble, place 1 to 2 teaspoons filling on each wonton wrapper and seal according to package directions.
5. Heat about 1/4 inch of peanut or vegetable oil in a wok or sauté pan until hot but not smoking. Place a single layer of wontons in the hot oil and fry 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper bags or towels.
6. Serve immediately, drizzled with sauce.

Reviews

[adopt a greyhound]

Excellent wontons! I made as written and it was very easy and quick to do. The flavor of the sauce is wonderful. I made 10 and we ate those. I have enough left over to do about 8 more. Loved that you don't deep fry the wontons but they crisp up nicely. Will buy more blackberries and puree them to make these all year around. Do try this great recipe.

[Scoutie]

WOW! Wish I could give this more than 5 stars! I used the dry sherry in the sauce. I also pretty much use Panko crumbs anytime a recipe calls for breadcrumbs. This was a real treat, thanks for posting, Pellerin.