Egg rolls are one of those things I could eat every day. There are so many different varieties, including spring rolls, that the possibilities are endless. One of my favorite recipes originally came from Steamy Kitchen, but I’ve altered it and, instead of frying, I bake them, although I’ll include frying instructions if you prefer to fry. They’re not heavy or greasy and the sauce I make for dipping is TO DIE FOR.
Ingredients:
25 Spring/Egg Roll Wrappers (8×8)
Oil, if you’re frying
egg white
FOR THE GROUND PORK
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed into ¼ cup of water
¼ teaspoon sugar
freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE VEGETABLES
2 to 3 cloves garlic, very finely minced
½ head of cabbage
3 carrots, shredded
3 tablespoons green onions, chopped finely
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
10 fresh mushrooms, stems discarded
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
HONEY GARLIC SAUCE (for dipping)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 cup honey
¼ cup soy sauce
Directions:
1. To make the filling, combine the ingredients for the ground pork together. Marinate at least 10 minutes. While you’re waiting prep all the vegetables.
2. Heat a wok or large saute pan over high heat. Add the sesame oil and swirl to coat. Add the pork and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium low and set the meat in a colander to drain. Add the green onions, garlic, cabbage, carrots, ginger and the mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the vegetables are softened. Add the rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and black pepper. Mix the meat back in and continue to stir-fry for another minute. Scoop out the filling to a baking sheet and spread out to cool.
3. THIS IS A KEY STEP: Prop up one end of the baking sheet so that it tilts and will allow all the moisture to drain to one end. Let cool for 15 minutes.
4. Discard all of the accumulated juices. Use paper towels to blot the filling to rid of extra oil or juice.
5. Now, you’re ready to wrap. Use 3 heaping tablespoons of filling for each egg roll. These are slender egg rolls, the width of the egg roll should only be 1.25″ diameter.
6. Fold up the bottom corner and roll tightly over the top, kind of like a burrito. Then fold in both side corners and continue rolling. Brush a little egg white on the top corner to seal and lay on baking sheet seam side down.
7. Keep the rolled egg rolls in neat, single layer and covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. If you want to stack the egg rolls, make sure you have layer of parchment paper in between the layers to prevent sticking. Keep wrappers also covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Refrigerate up to 4 hours until ready to fry or freeze.
8. To bake the egg rolls, spray them with cooking spray or brush with olive oil and bake for 18 minutes on 425°.
To fry the egg rolls, fill a wok or pot with 2 inches of high-heat cooking oil. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Gently slide in or lower the egg rolls, frying 4 to 6 at a time, turning occasionally until golden brown about 1½ minutes. Place on wire rack to drain and cool.
To make the Honey Garlic Sauce, in a medium saucepan add olive oil and garlic. Cook to soften garlic but don’t brown. Add honey and soy sause; simmer for 5-10 minutes but don’t let it foam over the pot. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Just a mouthful of pure YUM!
