When I want egg rolls, I want them NOW.
That means fresh, crisp, and delicious.
And, that means no ChinaMacs for me. I must make them myself.
Rosie's Egg Rolls
Won ton wrappers
For filling:
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup water chestnuts, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1-inch cube ginger, minced, with juice
1 egg
1 cup shrimp, cooked and minced
1- 2 TB soy sauce
1- 2 tsp sesame oil
For serving:
lightly toasted sesame seeds
sliced scallions
Rosie Note: When I buy ginger, I cut it into 1-inch cubes and freeze it. That way, I always have ginger on hand. Also, frozen ginger is the only way to extract the juice. Simply nuke a cube of ginger for about 20 seconds or so, then squeeze it with your fingers or use a garlic press to get the juice out. Mince the remaining pulp for your recipe.
To prepare the egg, first beat it, then pour it in a thin layer in a non-stick pan over medium heat, swirling to spread out the egg. Cook about a minute, then flip and cook the other side. Remove from pan, let cool, then cut into strips, then cut crosswise.
For the shrimp, season water with Old Bay and bring to boil. Drop in peeled and de-tracted shrimp and cook until just done. About one minute. I say "de-tract," not "de-vein," because that black line is the digestive tract of the shrimp, not a vein. Whatever you call it, remove it. Drain cooked shrimp, let cool, then mince.
In a medium bowl, combine shredded cabbage, carrot, chestnuts, minced garlic, minced ginger and juice, and cooked egg and shrimp. Toss with 1 TB soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil. Taste test and add extra soy or sesame if desired.
Position wonton wrapper on the diagonal and place a few tablespoons of filling in the center. Roll up nearest side over filling, then fold edges over, and continue rolling, tightly. Brush edges with water to seal. Do not overfill the wrappers - you'll have a mess on your hands.
In deep fry pan, heat peanut oil to 350°. Carefully lower egg rolls into hot oil, one at a time. I fry them two at a time, so as not to crowd the pan and lower the temperature of the oil. Fry, turning the egg rolls and spooning hot oil over the top side, for 3 - 3 1/2 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on racks and serve with toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and dipping sauce.
For dip:
1 TB ketchup
1 TB soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp water
1 tsp cornstarch
In small saucepan, heat ketchup, soy, sugar, and vinegar. Stir in slurry of cornstarch and water and heat, stirring, until thickened.
Now for the step-by-steps:
Drop peeled and cleaned shrimp into boiling water.
Only needs about 1 minute until done.
Drain, let cool, then mince.
For the egg, pour a thin layer in a non-stick pan and cook both sides for about a minute.
It's like a crepe.
Thinly slice the egg into strips, then cut across.
When filling your egg rolls, be careful not to over-fill.
Roll bottom side up over the filling, then fold in sides.
Keep rolling.
I cut the triangle off the top since you don't need all that wrap on the egg roll.
Save the triangles. Either cut them into wonton strips or keep them whole and fry them for extras.
Babies are ready for the fryer.
I only fry two at a time to keep the temperature constant.
If you lower the temp too much by adding too many pieces, you'll end up with greasy, not crisp.
Also, I like to use a ladle to spoon hot oil over the top of the rolls.
Keep turning until lightly browned all over.
Drain on racks.
Serve with dipping sauce and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
