Spring Rolls

 Spring Rolls

Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with the crispy and flavorful delight of Spring Rolls! These delectable snacks are bursting with a delightful blend of lightly spiced vegetables, all wrapped up in a crispy shell. Spring Rolls are a beloved Asian treat, perfect for whetting your appetite before a meal. The combination of fresh vegetables, seasonings, and spices creates a mouthwatering filling that is then fried to golden perfection. Whether you enjoy them at a restaurant or grab them from a street vendor, Spring Rolls are a popular choice for a quick and satisfying snack. They are also a fantastic option for serving at parties, adding a touch of exotic flair to your appetizer spread. Get ready to indulge in the crispy goodness of Spring Rolls!

Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are a traditional Southeast Asian appetizer that can be served non-fried or fried. The fried version is also known as egg rolls in the US.

 

Ingredients

For the meat marinade

·         8 oz. ground chicken or pork

·         ½ teaspoon sesame oil

·         1 teaspoon Shaoxing cooking wine (if you don’t have this cooking wine, make your own to replace Shaoxing, add ½ cup white grape juice and one tablespoon rice vinegar for every cup of Shaoxing wine. You can add more as you go, but make sure you taste, and always adjust for sugar.

·         ½ teaspoon cornstarch

·         A pinch of salt

·         A pinch of white pepper

For the filling

·         2 tablespoons oil

·         1 clove garlic, crushed

·         10 shiitake mushrooms, soaked until softened and thinly sliced

·         2 medium carrots, thinly cut

·         1 cup bamboo shoots, thinly cut

·         1 small napa cabbage, finely shredded

·         1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice cooking wine, see the note above

·         2 tablespoons soy sauce

·         1 teaspoon sesame oil

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         ½ teaspoon white pepper

·         ½ teaspoon sugar

·         2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

For the wrapping

·         20 (8” square) spring roll wrappers

·         1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

·         Vegetable oil (for frying)

For the dipping sauce

·         2 teaspoons sugar, diluted in 2 teaspoons hot water

·         1 tablespoon soy sauce

Instructions

1.            Mix the chicken or pork with the marinade ingredients and set aside for about 1  hour.

2.            Sauté the chicken (or pork) over high heat in 2 tablespoons of oil, and add the garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots. Stir fry for about a minute or two, and then add the bamboo shoots, napa cabbage, and Shaoxing rice cooking wine. Continue stir-frying for a minute. Lower the heat.

3.            Stir in the sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, white pepper, and sugar.

4.            Simmer for 5 minutes and stir in the diluted cornstarch to thicken the filling.

5.            Let filling cool for a few minutes in the wok or pan, then place into the refrigerator to cool further, at least 45 minutes, which will help firm up the filling and facilitate the wrapping.

6.            Place a wrapper on the countertop so that one of the corners is facing toward you. Use about two tablespoons of the mixture per spring roll and place the filling about 2 inches (5cm) from the corner that is closest to you.

7.            Roll it over once, and fold over both sides toward the center. Continue rolling it into a cylinder shape. With your finger, brush some of the cornstarch water onto the corner of the wrapper that is farthest from you to seal it.

8.            Repeat to make about 20 spring rolls and place each of them on a tray.

9.            Fill a small pot with vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350F/180C. Gently add the spring rolls one at a time, frying in small batches of 3-4 until golden brown, then transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel.

10.         Dilute sugar in hot water, then add soy sauce.

11.         Serve the spring rolls right away with the dipping sauce.

 Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Graduating with an Associate of Arts from Pheonix University in Business Management, then a degree in Mass Communication and Cyber Analysis from Phoenix University, then on to Walden University for her master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology, her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. In her spare time, Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, pen and ink, Gouache, and pastels. As a political operative having worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 6 blogs that range from art to life coaching, to food, to writing, and opinion or history pieces each week.