CRISPY CRAB ROLLS

Crispy Crab Rolls image

The secret to these crunchy crab rolls? The dumpling wrapper is made of flattened white bread. Chef Andrew Zimmern calls this "Southern country club meets Southeast Asia." The result: a light and crispy exterior with snowy white crabmeat inside.

Provided by Andrew Zimmern

Categories main-dish

Time 45m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

8 ounces jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
Freshly ground white pepper
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg yolk, reserve egg white for Crab Rolls, Step 3
Zest of 1 lemon
5 scallions
1/2 cup Thai sweet chile sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
kosher salt
1 quart vegetable oil, for frying
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons Water
2 large egg whites
1 cup all-purpose flour
9 slices white Wonder Bread, crusts removed

Steps:

Crab filling: In medium bowl, combine the crab meat, white pepper, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, mayonnaise, egg yolk (reserving egg white), and lemon zest. Thinly slice the green part of the scallions (reserving the white part) on an angle, and add to the bowl. Stir the ingredients gently to combine, keeping the crab meat chunks as intact as possible.
Dipping sauce: In a small bowl, blend the chile sauce, lime juice, sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt.
In a large, deep skillet, heat oil to 375 F. In a large bowl, whisk together cornstarch, water, and 3 egg whites (reserving 2 egg yolks) to make a slurry. In another large bowl, combine the flour with a pinch of salt. Use a rolling pin to flatten each slice of bread. Arrange the bread with the short sides facing you. Spread a heaping tablespoon of crab mixture across the middle of each slice, leaving a ½-inch border at both sides. Use your finger to spread some of the reserved egg yolk along the top and bottom of the flattened bread. Roll and tuck the bread around the crab; press to seal the rolls. Let the rolls rest seam-side down for 5 minutes.
Whisk the egg white mixture again to recombine any cornstarch that may have settled to the bottom. Dip each crab roll into the mixture, then dredge in the flour. Carefully transfer the rolls to the oil and fry in batches without crowding, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the crab rolls to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Finely slice the white part of a scallion and garnish the chili sauce. Slice the crab rolls in half and serve with the chile sauce.