Vegetable Egg Rolls

Is there any great reason to eat a vegetarian egg roll?  I guess your being a vegetarian or having a gun to your head are decent reasons.

This is similar to a recipe that I was supposed to make in class this morning.  I doctored it, which is a questionable move in class; the chef wants to know you can follow directions but I’m guessing also wants to taste something worth eating.  I have a huge reputation to live up to; my mom is the most famous egg roll maker in the northeast!

Elevate this recipe by adding some ground meat (pork!) or shrimp.  Even crab.  Yum.

Some egg roll recipes will have you frying with raw filling, while these have a filling that is fully cooked before they go into the fryer.  It’s nice because you can taste the filling and adjust the seasonings before they are cooked (and it’s too late to adjust).

Ingredients

1 oz oil

**6 oz cooked meat, either ground of shredded is fine optional

**1 1/2 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined and chopped optional

6 oz chinese cabbage, shredded

3 scallions, chopped fine

6 oz bean sprouts

5 dried black mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped fine

2 oz bamboo, fine julienne cut

3 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sherry or shaoxing wine

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp oyster sauce

3 oz chicken stock

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 T water, cold

16 square skins/wrappers

1 egg, beaten

Method

1. 1.Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat
2. 2.Stir-fry cabbage, scallion, sprouts, mushrooms, bamboo shoots (and meat/shrimp if using).  Add water as needed if your pan becomes very dry, this will help “steam” the veggies and wilt them faster
3. 3.Combine soy sauce, sherry (or shaoxing), garlic powder, pepper flakes, oyster sauce and half of the stock and then add to the stir-fry mixture.  Stir and cook another 2-3 minutes.  If it becomes at all dry add the rest of the stock (this is a variable - you want the filling moist but not wet).
4. 4.Combine cornstarch with water (slurry) and add to the pan.  Stir and cook until thickened and reduced.
5. 5.Remove from the heat and adjust seasonings if necessary.  Cool.
6. 6.Lay skin down in front of you like a diamond and add about 1 1/2 oz of filling to the lower area, stretching across.  Make sure it is centered and not too close to the edges.
7. 7.Fold the bottom point up over the filling and tuck it in tight.
8. 8.Brush around the remaining three corners with the beaten egg.  This is going to seal your egg roll so it doesn’t explode in the fryer.
9. 9.Fold in the left and right corners and roll upwards, making sure the roll is tight and sealed completely.
10. 10. Finish all rolls.
11. 11. Deep fry at 350 until crisp and brown.  Remove onto paper towels to drain oil and serve immediately with nuac cham or duck sauce.

Or as my chef would say “these are seasoned so well they don’t need a sauce”.