Split Pea Crab Rangoons with Sticky Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce

1. Rinse split peas and place in a small pot. Add water and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a constant simmer and cover partially. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Drain if necessary and smash into a smooth paste. Let cool.
2. While peas cook, mix together cream cheese, drained crab meat, green onions, and garlic until blended. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Blend in cooled split pea paste; cover and set aside for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

To assemble rangoons:

1. Have a baking sheet ready to place formed rangoons. Dab egg whites lightly onto the center edges on all four sides of wonton wrapper – this will help the wrapper stick to itself and seal in the filling. Place 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons split pea and crab filling onto center of wrapper. Fold sides to create a blossom, or fold diagonally and press to adhere. Place on baking sheet and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or a slightly damp cotton towel. Repeat process until filling is gone. Chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

To fry rangoons and assemble sauce:

1. In a deep pot or a wok, heat oil until it registers 350 degrees.
2. While wontons are chilling and oil is heating, place vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic in a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once sauce reaches a boil, lower to medium heat (still maintaining a rolling boil, but mixture shouldn’t come close to boiling over) and continue to cook for 15 minutes to reduce sauce. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
3. Remove baking sheet from fridge. Place a cooling wrack on a different baking sheet and line with paper towels; position near pot of oil.
4. Once oil registers 350 degrees, carefully drop in 3 rangoons at a time. Fry for 40-50 seconds, or until edges are golden brown and the rangoons lose their raw look. The overall tone will be a light-medium golden brown except for the edges. Remove using a slotted spoon and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining rangoons, cooking just 3 at a time. Adjust heat accordingly if rangoons are browning too fast or too slow.