Timber 2 Table - Deep-Fried Bluegill Rangoons Recipe

If you like crab rangoons at your favorite Chinese restaurant, you will love this version made with grilled bluegill.

Deep-Fried Bluegill Rangoons Recipe


45 Min

Prep Time


15 Min

Cook Time


5-7

Servings


Easy

Difficulty

When it comes to Chinese restaurants, crab rangoons reign supreme for me as an appetizer. In fact, I tend to judge a new restaurant by the quality of their rangoons. Simple recipes like these only shine when great care is taken to do them well.

Serve the rangoons with the salty and sweet dipping sauce.

You can make your own rangoons at home and, most of the time, they will be better than any you find in a restaurant. Instead of the traditional crab (usually not even real crab, but artificially flavored imitation crab), we use grilled bluegill fillets. Season them any way you like, but the Floribbean Rub from Chef of the Future is one of our favorites for grilling fish. The website describes it as subtle flavors of the Caribbean Islands, Florida and the Gulf Coast with a base of Fine Espresso, Cocoa, and Chipotle' Pepper, with a touch of Sassafras. I love it on anything grilled.

Ingredients

1 block cream cheese (8 ounce), softened

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 cup chopped grilled bluegill or crappie fillets

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

1 package wonton wrappers

Oil for deep frying

Dipping sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce.

1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Sriracha Hot Chile Sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 -2 tablespoons honey

Cooking Instructions

Season the bluegill (or any flaky white fish) well. Arrange them in a single layer on the Traeger Grill rack and place on the grill at 350 degrees. The fillets only take a few minutes, 5 to 10, to turn opaque and begin to flake apart. Remove the fish from the grill and allow it to cool.

Grill the bluegill fillets on the Traeger Grill until they are cooked through and start to flake.

Spoon a teaspoon of the filling into the center of a wonton wrapper.

Spoon a bit of filling onto a wonton wrapper.

Pinch the wonton into a tight pouch, making sure all edges are sealed tightly.

Pinch corners up to a point.