Serves: 5
Total Calories: 3,739
Eggrolls are thin coverings of unraised dough, wrapped around various meat, seafood and vegetable mixtures, and then usually deep-fried. Originally, these were special snacks served with tea when relatives and friends came to visit after the Chinese New Year. Since the time was early spring, they came to be known as spring rolls. The wrapping of the spring roll was made without eggs, and the rolls themselves were small, thin and delicate. By contrast, the eggroll, said to have originated in Canton and more familiar to Westerners, is larger (it measures 5 to 6 inches) and thicker (its batter is made with eggs). Eggrolls are served either as hors d' oeuvres or with dinner at any time of the year.
PREPARING THE SKINS:
Eggrolls skins are always made first then the fillings. The skins can either be prepared at home or purchased ready-made in Chinese grocery stores and noodle factories. Ready-made skins come in sheets 8 inches square, average about 20 to the pound, and are always made with eggs. Skins made at home may be prepared with or without eggs.
PREPARING THE FILLINGS:
Some eggroll fillings are cooked in advance others are not. Those containing raw pork are usually stir-fried first, unless the eggroll itself is to be cooked for a longer time. Some fillings are stir-fried in advance, not to be cooked as such, but to blend the flavors of their ingredients.
WRAPPING THE EGGROLL:
Before the egg roll is wrapped, three conditions must be met: the filling must be as dry as possible both the filling and the skin must be cool. Unless these conditions are met, the skin could tear during cooking and the filling burst out untidily into the hot oil. It is therefore essential that the filling be drained well in a sieve or colander. (Chinese restaurants have ingeniously adapted regular wine presses to squeeze their eggroll fillings dry.) Stir-fried fillings should be allowed to cool at least 30 minutes after cooking. If time permits, they may be chilled in the refrigerator.
QUANTITIES:
Use about 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of filling per eggroll, or divide the filling into as many parts as there are eggroll skins.
ROLLING UP THE EGGROLL SKIN:
ROUND SKINS
1. Place the filling slightly below the center of the skin.
2. Fold the skin up from the bottom to cover the filling.
3. Roll the skin fairly tightly around the filling, tucking in the sides as you go, and rolling the skin away from you.
4. Brush the inside of the top edge with a sealing mixture (see below) and press to seal like an envelope flap.
SQUARE SKINS
1. Place the eggroll skin with one corner of the skin pointing toward you. Place the filling slightly below the center of the skin.
2. Fold the bottom corner up to cover filling. Then fold over the left and right corners.
3. Roll up the skin away from you, pressing tightly to make sure the filling is securely wrapped. Seal as in step 4 above.
TRIANGULAR SKINS
1. Place the filling slightly below the center of the skin.
2. Fold the left corner over the filling then fold the right corner so that it overlaps the left.
3. Fold up the bottom then fold over the top to overlap snugly. Seal as in step 4 above.
SEALING THE EGGROLL:
Any of the following may be used:
* 1 to 2 tablespoons whole egg, beaten
* 1 to 2 tablespoons egg white, unbeaten
* A thin cornstarch paste made with 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water
* A flour paste made with 1 tablespoon flour and 2 tablespoons water
NOTE: When the eggrolls are wrapped, stack them on a damp towel. Then cover with a second damp towel until ready to cook.
COOKING THE EGGROLL:
TO DEEP-FRY:
1. Heat oil for deep-frying to about 375 degrees.
2. Add eggrolls two or three at a time. Reduce heat slightly and deep-fry until each is crisp and golden on both sides.
3. Lift eggrolls out with slotted spoon and drain either on paper toweling or On a rack or stand eggrolls on end in a colander to drain. (Never stack deep-fried eggrolls one atop the other while still warm the wrappings will lose their crispness.)
NOTE: When making eggrolls in quantity, you can wrap and deep-fry them at the same time, by wrapping the second batch while the first one cooks in hot oil.
TO STEAM:
1. Place eggrolls on a lightly oiled heatproof platter with enough space between them so they won't stick to one another.
2. Steam 10 to 30 minutes (see HOW-TO, _Steaming).
NOTE: If the eggrolls are to be steamed first and deep-fried afterward, allow 10 minutes for steaming. Then let cool and deep-fry as above. Or dip cooled eggrolls first in beaten egg, dredge lightly in cornstarch and then deep-fry.
If the eggrolls are to be steamed only, and they contain raw pork, allow 30 minutes for steaming. (They may be sprinkled before steaming with a mixture of 1 tablespoon each of lard, soy sauce and water.)
TO PAN-FRY:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add eggrolls a few at a time.
2. Brown lightly on both sides.
NOTE: Pan-frying is best when the fillings contain cooked meats or raw vegetables. A Shanghai spring roll filled with bamboo shoots, mushrooms and Chinese parsley, for example, is always pan-fried.
SERVING THE EGGROLL:
1. Cut eggrolls diagonally in 1 1/2-inch sections or in thirds. (This makes them easier to handle with chopsticks.)
2. Serve with hot mustard, plum sauce or slices of lemon or lime.
NOTE: Eggrolls can be kept warm in a slow oven until ready to serve.
STORING THE EGGROLL:
Eggrolls prepared in advance can be pan-fried lightly, cooled and wrapped well in foil or transparent wrap and refrigerated. They can then be deep-fried in a day or two. Or they can be lightly pan-fried and wrapped as above, then frozen, to be unwrapped later and deep-fried without preliminary thawing.
Leftover deep-fried eggrolls may also be frozen. (Bean sprout fillings, however, will lose their crisp texture.) The eggrolls can be reheated without preliminary thawing for about 20 minutes on each side in a slow oven.
Cooked eggrolls will keep 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. To reheat: Place in a slow oven cook 10 minutes on each side.
STORING EGGROLL SKINS:
Ready-made eggroll skins are often sold in s-pound packages. These can be rewrapped in smaller quantities and frozen for future use.
Home-made skins may also be prepared in advance, wrapped and deep-frozen.
However, a bit of cornstarch should always be sprinkled between the skins so they will separate and peel off easily.
All frozen eggroll skins should be thawed completely before they are used.
The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.
This Eggrolls recipe is from the Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook Cookbook. Download this Cookbook today.
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