Fried Crab and Avocado Wontons

When we were told about the Adaptable Avocado Recipe Challenge, we put our culinary minds to work. What could we do with an avocado that would be different, unique, off the beaten path? We spent Saturday afternoon chatting with some fellow foodies, knocking about some ideas of what flavors pair well with avocado. At first, our match was chicken, but Sunday morning brought enlightenment - crab was the way to go. We've had some success recently making dumplings and ravioli, and so, after much discussion, planning, testing, and of course, tasting, our newest creation was born. Here we bring you Fried Crab and Avocado Wontons.

We loved how the rich creaminess of the avocado matched with the sweetness of the crab meat. Fresh chives and tarragon from our garden gave the filling an herby balance. Frying the wonton brought crisp texture to the soft filling. We knew that some acidity was necessary to bring out these flavors, so we made a dipping sauce from sour cream, tomato and sweetened lime juice. This recipe made about fifty or so wontons, so there was plenty to share (which we did, with our neighbors across the street). Our experiment seems to have succeeded, for we, and the neighbors, thought these made a deliciously different appetizer.

The adaptable avocado - it's not just for guacamole anymore.

Ingredients:

For the wontons:

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped finely

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped finely

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

8 ounces cooked crab meat

1 package wonton wrappers

For the dipping sauce:

8 ounces sour cream

1 large tomato

1 tablespoon sweetened lime juice

salt to taste

Peanut oil for frying

After dicing the avocado, sprinkle it with lemon juice to avoid browning. In a large bowl, combine the avocado, herbs, salt and white pepper. Fold in the crab meat and mix well. One by one, lay out a wonton wrapper and place a teaspoon of the mixture in the center. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water and fold into desired shape. Cover with a damp dishcloth to avoid drying. To make the dipping sauce, chop the tomato in a food processor. In a bowl, combine the tomato and tomato juices with the sour cream. Add the sweetened lime juice and salt to taste. Set aside in refrigerator to chill. To fry the wontons, fill a deep skillet with peanut oil, enough to cover the wontons when they are put in. Heat the oil over medium-high heat for several minutes. Deep fry in batches of five or six until they become golden brown. Remove with a mesh frying skimmer and set aside on paper towels to soak up excess oil. Serve the hot wontons with the cool dipping sauce.