First Day of Spring Rolls

I think it’s time to pull out the big guns.  Today we’re talking spring rolls.  This is another one of those recipes that is cause for celebration around these parts.  Normally, I can make 50 of these and they won’t last more than 24 hours, but I was a good girl this time.  I made 25 and froze the remaining mix for later use.  The disappointment eventually faded since I pacified the gang with apple chips, which are sadly gone now as well.

Like all of my recipes, I play with this one a lot.  I will add extra soy and fish sauce to give a little more flavor to the filling.  I would recommend using about half of an 8 ounce package of rice sticks, but sometimes I will put a little extra into the mix to stretch it.

We like the traditional method of rolling the cooked spring rolls into a leaf of lettuce topped with cooked rice sticks, shredded carrot and cucumber.  This offers a wonderful variety of texture and refreshing crunch, but you don’t have to do this as they stand alone just fine.

Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork, cooked
• 1/2 lb shrimp, chopped and cooked
• 2 small carrots, diced
• 4-5 shiitake mushrooms, diced, no stems
• 1/4 cup soy sauce + extra
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 8 oz pack Cellophane noodles or rice sticks, cooked
• 1 egg, white and yolk separated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 sliced green onions
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
• 1 pack 8 inch spring roll wrappers (make sure they are the kind used to fry, not for raw spring rolls)

Optional

• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 TBSP Fish sauce
• Romaine lettuce leaves
• Shredded carrot
• Julienned cucumber

Directions

1. Blanch cabbage and place in an ice bath.  Drain and then squeeze out water.  In a large bowl mix cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, garlic and gr. onions.
2. Mix the chopped, cooked shrimp, cooked pork, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, black pepper, fish sauce, rice vinegar, about half of the rice sticks and egg white well.  Add to the vegetable mix (I usually mix it all together in one bowl, but these were my original directions, so I leave it to you.  Less dirty dishes make me happy). 
3. Brush egg yolk on three corners of a wrapper, then add 2 TBSP of filling in the center, diagonally.  Place a wet towel over any wrapper or spring roll not in use to keep moist and prevent breaking during the frying process.
4. Deep fry in peanut oil at 350° for 4-5 minutes, flipping half way, until golden brown.
5. Serve wrapped in lettuce with the extra noodles, cucumber and carrots, or alone.  Dip in oriental chili or soy sauce.

Scroll down for directions and a short video on how to fold spring rolls.

Finally! A beautiful cabbage from the garden!

Shiitake mushrooms. I bought a huge bag and separated, preserving with the food sealer.

Rice sticks can be found at most grocery stores

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