There are many variations to Spring Rolls throughout the Far East, with differing wraps, some made from rice paper, as in the Vietnamese types, and gives a transparent appearance, or egg based wraps, similar to that of filo pastry. It goes with out saying, the fillings will also vary from region to region.
The Spring Rolls we are going to make today are often found in Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong, particularly in the Dim Sum eateries, and is often served with a dipping Worcestershire Sauce and or sweet chili sauce.
Servings: 28
Ingredients
7inSpring roll pastry sheetseach measuring 8 x 8 in ( 20 cm x 20 cm)
For the Filling
2mushroomschopped small
1Spring Onion / Scallion
5-6stalks of coriander / cilantro
¼inchor 1 cm thick piece fresh ginger
1clovegarlic
1cupor 70 g beansprouts
4fresh Prawnsoptional
6ozor 170 g pork or chicken fillet
Vegetable oil for deep frying.use a small pan
The marinade
1Teaspooncornflour / cornstarch
1Teaspoonsugar
1TeaspoonChinese rice Wine
1TeaspoonSesame Oil
1TeaspoonChicken stock powder
1teaspoonSoy Sauce
1teaspoonOyster Sauce
2teaspooncold water
Instructions
Prepare the Vegetables
First we will prepare all the vegetable items and place on a plate.
Chop mushrooms (½ cm sized pieces)
Chop cilantro/ coriander, and Spring Onion / scallion shred (see picture) Cut it across into 1 inch lengths and then shred.
Finely chop ginger and garlic.
Place beansprouts on plate (no need to chop)
Prepare the meat
Now to prepare the meat. You need to cut it very fine like matchsticks. Watch the photos to get the idea.
Cut meat finely. Start by cutting your fillet in half horizontally then vertically slice down to make matchstick sizes (step 1 & 2 photos)
Place in a bowl and add the wine,cornstarch,chicken stock,water,sesame oil.
Stir very well to get everything combined.
Slice prawns horizontally in half then cut into 1cm pieces. Place in a separate bowl
Cook the meat & mushrooms
Add 1 teaspoon Vegetable oil to a pan. Add mushrooms, ginger & garlic. fry until all soft.
Add the pork. Stir fry until cooked. Transfer to your mixing bowl and allow to cool.
Once the meat has cooled, add all the other ingredients together with the oyster sauce and combine very well.
Making the wraps.
These wraps are a standard size so we need to cut them into quarters otherwise your spring rolls will be huge! Follow the pictures step by step and you will get the idea. You will need a little bowl of water to wet the sides so they stick.
Work with 2 or 3 squares at a time. cover the rest with a damp tea towel.
Put enough vegetable oil in a sauce pan, I prefer to fry 4-5 rolls at a time.
When hot enough, add the rolls and cook until golden.
(The first roll on the left of the photo I had the oil too hot. If yours go brown too fast, turn the heat down a little. The second roll from the left is the correct colour!)
Remove and drain on some kitchen paper, and serve with Worcestershire sauce or sweet chili sauce for dipping.