Egg Rolls

A break with tradition!

Traditionally egg rolls are considered an appetizer, but I like to live dangerously once in awhile and besides, we really like egg rolls! That being said, at our home we generally consider egg rolls as a side dish with either the lemon chicken that was last week’s recipe or when I make homemade fried rice. I use the recipe from the Betty Crocker Chinese cook book. Over the years, I have modified it so they don’t take as long to make. You can use the egg roll wraps you find in the grocery store, but we prefer them with a crispier wrap so I buy spring roll wraps. You can find these in an Oriental grocery store. The closest Oriental grocery store is in Worthington, MN. They can be found in the frozen food section.

When you make egg rolls, it’s best to fry them immediately. If you roll them ahead of time, they are fragile and fall apart. They freeze well, but freeze them before you fry and take them from the freezer directly to the fryer. You can keep them warm in a low oven. Leftover egg rolls can be re-heated in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. If you microwave them, they get soggy. A little more advice: the Oriental grocery store in Worthington does not take checks, so be prepared!

Egg Rolls:
1 pound ground pork (not sausage)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 pkg cole slaw mix with grated carrots
1 small can tiny shrimp, rinsed and drained
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp five spice power, optional, found in Oriental aisle in grocery store
1 egg, beaten

Mix first 5 ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or longer. Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in fry pan or wok, add pork, stir and cook until no longer pink and it’s crumbly; add 1 pkg coleslaw mix and cook until the cabbage is wilted. Remove from heat and add shrimp, green onions, mushrooms, salt and five spice powder. At this point you can store in the refrigerator a day or two until ready to use.

Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in wok or fry pan to 350 degrees. Place about 1/2 cup pork mixture slightly below center of egg roll skin (cover remaining skins with dampened towel to keep them pliable). Fold corner of egg roll skin closest to filling over the filling, tucking the point under, fold in and overlap the two opposite corners. Brush fourth corner with egg; roll up enclosed filling to seal. Fry 3-4 egg rolls at a time until golden brown, turning 2-3 times so are brown on all sides, 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve with hot mustard or a sweet and sour sauce. This makes about 15 egg rolls, I generally figure 2 per person, the ones we don’t fry I freeze to fry another time. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!