Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls

Pictured:  Sweet and Sour Chicken (Sweet and Sour Sauce over Lightly Breaded Chicken Tenders and Egg Rolls)

When I was about 12, my dad took a job that required a lot less of his time, so he could take care of me and my mom, who had just had a massive stroke.  During that time, he involved me in a lot of the cooking.  One of the things he decided to try a hand at was egg rolls.  He saw the packages of the wrappers at the store, and saw that they had instructions on them.  We experimented quite a bit with that basic recipe and discovered how our family liked it best.  This is my take on that "family recipe."

Making the egg rolls is considered pretty much an "all day affair," although having made them for so many years; we've got it down to about three hours start to finish.

Egg Rolls
Makes about 24 egg rolls

Begin by shredding with a food processor:
1/2 head cabbage
4 stalks celery
2 carrots
3 cloves garlic
1 chicken breast, cooked

Other vegetable choices that we like are:  peeled broccoli stem, asparagus, bean sprouts, mushrooms, Napa cabbage.  Instead of the chicken, cooked pork or shrimp or a combination thereof are good.

Using a food processor or by hand, finely chop or shred all of the vegetables and meat for the filling.

Place a colander inside a bowl and have it ready for when the filling is done.  Set this aside.

Pour 2 tablespoons peanut oil, (or oil of choice), into a wok or large frying pan over high heat.  Add the meat and the veggies to the hot wok and stir them to combine.  Cover the wok and let the filling ingredients "steam" covered for about 8 minutes.  They should be softened and have released some of their moisture, so there is a broth at the bottom of the pan.



Season the filling with:
1 teaspoon "toasted" sesame oil (available at most grocery stores)
2 1/2 tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt

Stir the filling well and taste it.  This step is so important!  If it doesn't taste good right now, it won't taste good in the egg rolls.  Adjust the seasonings to taste, then pour the filling into the prepared colander.

Allow the filling to cool completely to room temperature before attempting to use it with the wraps.  If it is warm at all, it will cause the wraps to melt and become unusable.

Frugal tip:  Once the filling has cooled, there will be some of the broth from the filling in the bowl.  It can be reserved and used along with cooking water for rice or thickened and used as a dipping sauce. 

Mix together two tablespoons water plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch.  This will be the "glue" used to seal the egg rolls while they are being rolled up.



For the egg roll wrappers, I just purchase whatever my market carries.  There are several different brands.  They all work equally well in my experience.  I've even made my own wraps with home made pasta dough.  That was quite an ordeal!  I don't recommend it.

Rolling the egg rolls:  Start by opening the package and covering the open end with a dampened towel.  This will keep the wraps from drying out in case the process gets interrupted or just takes a long time.  Place a single wrapper onto a plate. 

Scoop a scant 1/4 cupful of filling and place it cross-wise onto the wrapper.  Then, using the cornstarch and water, spread the edged of the wrapper with the "glue."  Begin rolling the wrapper up in the center.  Tuck it around the filling.  Add more "glue" at the corners.  Fold the ends over so they cover the filling and don't have any gaps.  Gaps allow filling to escape into the cooking oil and can cause splatters!  Add more "glue."  Tuck and roll the edges, again, so there are no open gaps in the finished product.  Place the rolled up egg rolls onto a clean cutting board or plate.  Cover them with a towel to keep them from drying out.

When the egg rolls are all rolled up, pre-heat about 2" of peanut oil, (or oil of choice), in a frying pan on medium high heat.  Carefully, with a slotted spoon, lower the egg rolls into the hot oil.  I don't recommend using tongs, as this could puncture the wrappers.  Fry the egg rolls, a couple at a time, until they are golden and crispy.  I've found that as the process goes, I usually need to turn the heat down on the oil or they get browned too quickly.

Serve them hot with Sweet and Sour sauce.  Enjoy!

Pictured:  Sweet and Sour Chicken (Sweet and Sour Sauce over Lightly Breaded Chicken Tenders and Egg Rolls)