Crab Rangoons with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients

• For the sweet & sour dipping sauce:
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons red chile flakes
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks or canned chunks, drained
• For the crab rangoon:
• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 6 ounces picked crab meat
• 6 scallions, whites only, finely sliced
• 1 pack square wonton wrappers, about 40-50 pieces
• 2 quarts peanut oil
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, stir together the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, chili flakes, and water. Set it over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, whisking until the sugar has dissolved. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk the remaining tablespoon of water with the corn starch into a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the sauce, bring it to a boil, and then set it aside to cool while you shape the crab rangoon.
2. Add the cream cheese, crab, and scallions to a medium bowl, then fold everything together with a spatula or your hands until evenly mixed. Place 1 wonton wrapper on a cutting board, keeping the others tucked under plastic wrap or a damp towel. Spoon a small bit of filling into the middle, about 1 1/2 teaspoons. Wet the edges with your fingertip, then seal it by folding it in half into a triangle, or by bringing the 4 edges toward the middle to make a 4-pointed star. As you close each one, press out any trapped air. Move it to a large plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and keep going until the filling is used up.
3. For the sauce, add the pineapple chunks and puree with an immersion blender, or move the sauce to a standing blender and blend it there.
4. Pour the oil into a wok or Dutch oven and heat it until an instant read thermometer shows 375 degrees F. Gently lower in 10 to 12 crab rangoons. Fry them for about 3 minutes, adjusting the flame to hold the temperature and using a wire mesh spider to keep them moving and turned, until they are crisp and golden brown. Lift them into a paper towel-lined bowl to drain, sprinkle with salt, and serve right away with the sweet and sour sauce.