Fried Won Tons with Crab and Cream Cheese

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth; there should be no clumps of cream cheese left in your filling (it helps to leave the cream cheese out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before mixing).
• Fill a small bowl with water to be used for dipping your fingers and sealing the wrappers.
• Scoop 1 tablespoon of filling into a single wrapper and moderately moisten the inside perimeter of all four edges, don’t soak the wrapper. Carefully pinch each of the corners together forming a four-point star. This will force the wrapper edges to meet in the center. Seal all edges together, ensuring that no filling is poking out (gaps will allow the filling to ooze out during frying- oh no!). Press gently to release any air bubbles that form inside the wrapper, before sealing completely.
• Place each completed won ton onto a dish or tray, in a single layer and continue filling more wrappers. Don’t stack these or they’ll stick together. If the preparation will take you awhile, place a damp paper towel over the completed won tons to prevent skins from drying out. A bit before you finish using up the last of the filling, heat the oil (step 5).
• Heat oil to 300 degrees. You will need enough oil to submerge the won ton. Gauge oil temp by using a frying or candy thermometer or by dropping a small piece of won ton skin into the oil. When it sizzles and floats to the top, the oil is ready.
  NOTE: stainless steel, copper and cast iron pans or even woks (if you have an traditional carbon steel version) work best for deep frying. Non-stick pans can be used for occasional deep frying, however, the Teflon does not hold up well to the extended high-temperature of the oil. It can be used safely but will eventually ruin your pot if frying occurs regularly.
• Carefully place prepared won ton into the oil for 2-3 minutes. The number of won ton you fry at once will depend on your pot size. Give them enough space to float around. Remove when time is up, or when the won ton is one shade lighter than your intended doneness. Remember, fried foods continue to cook after being taken out of oil.
• Drain your fried masterpieces on a paper towel or bakers cooling rack. Be careful not to shove one into your mouth right away, they are hot!
• Serve with sweet chili sauce for dipping. Enjoy!