Spring Rolls (egg Rolls)
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen spring rolls wrappers (20 wrappers)
- 1 head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), finely shredded
- 1 cup celery hearts (center yellow-white stalks only), cut into fine julienne
- 1/4 pound chicken breast, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon vodka
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoon corn oil, plus more for deep-frying
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- 4 fresh shitake mushrooms, cut into small dice
- 1/2 cup chopped chives
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or basil leaves
- Coarse or kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
- Hot mustard sauce
Instructions
Thaw the wrappers with a damp towel over them while you are making the filling. Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Blanch the cabbage and the celery hearts in the boiling water, cooking about 2 minutes, drain. When cool, place on a piece of cheesecloth or a towel and squeeze out the extra liquid. Set aside. Combine the chicken, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the vodka and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside to marinate. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and cut into small dice. Place in a small bowl and mix in the remaining 1 tablespoon vodka, set aside. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat and add the shallots. Cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the chicken mixture and cook over high heat, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp mixture and cook over high heat, stirring, until the shrimp are pink, 2-3 minutes. Remove the shrimp-chicken mixture from the skillet and place in a medium bowl. Add the mushrooms and mix well. When the mixture has cooked, add the chives, celery leaves, and cilantro or basil to the bowl. Mix thoroughly, season to taste with salt and pepper and add the cabbage and celery. Let the filling cool thoroughly before proceeding. The wrappers will crack if the filling is used while still warm. Remove 1 wrapper and place on a board, with a point facing you. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling on the wrapper, slightly below the center. Bring the point of the wrapper up over the filling, tuck it under, roll once tightly, then fold in the 2 sides neatly. Brush the opposite point of the wrapper with some of the egg yolk. Roll up the egg roll and press to seal. Place the filled spring roll on a platter, sealed side down and cover with a damp towel. Repeat, using the remainder of the wrappers and the filling. When all the wrappers are filled, cover the platter with plastic wrap. Pour about 6 inches of oil in a large skillet or a fryer and heat to 350 degrees F. Cook the spring rolls about 5 minutes, turning once, until they are golden brown, then drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with hot mustard sauce. Note: two kinds of wrappers are available. The first kind which originated in Canton, is called an "egg roll wrapper." Machine-made, it is similar to commercial pasta dough, comes in 6 inch squares and is found fresh in most chinese grocery stores. The second, originally from Shanghai and called a "spring roll wrapper," is paper-thin and made without eggs. It usually can be found in the freezer case of most Chinese grocery stores. Miss Foo prefers the spring roll wrapper because it is more tender. About 8 inches square, the egg roll wrapper is thicker and not as crisp when fried, but it can be substituted when necessary, although the rolls will have a different texture.