Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Classic Egg Rolls


 No matter what I order from a Chinese menu, whether it's Beef and Broccoli, or Sesame Chicken, or any number of other classic Chinese American entrees, there is always ONE thing that I will order. EGG ROLLS! It's true! I literally order egg rolls 10 times out of ten. Not even kidding. Tbh, it's how I decide whether or not a Chinese food restaurant is good enough. Well, dumplings too, but that's another story for another time.
 A few months ago, I invited the gang over to make home made Chinese take out. We made our own Beef and Broccoli, and of course we had to make our own egg rolls too. They were DELICIOUS!  I LOVE when we have days like that, with everyone getting involved with the cooking. Lots of laughs, great food, and good friends, usually ending with the dishes piled to the ceiling by the time we're done. LOL Well, like my friend Kelsie said to me recently "Happy kitchens rarely see a clean day!" Hmm.... I wonder if she read that in a fortune cookie somewhere...
 Anyway, if you've never made you're own egg rolls, invite a few friends over, get everyone involved and have an egg roll making party. I bet you there won't be any left when you're done!



1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 quart peanut oil for frying
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
1 bag cole slaw mix
8 (7 inch square) egg roll wrappers


 Season pork with ginger and garlic powder and mix thoroughly. Heat mixture in a medium skillet, stirring, until pork is cooked through and is no longer pink. Set aside. 
In another large skillet heat oil to about 375F or medium high heat. While oil is heating, combine flour and water in a bowl until they form a paste. In a separate bowl combine the cabbage, carrots and reserved pork mixture. Mix all together. 
Lay out one egg roll wrapper with a corner pointed toward you. Place about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cabbage, carrot, and pork mixture on egg roll wrapper and fold corner up over the mixture. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll. Brush a bit of the flour paste on the final corner to help seal the egg roll. 
Place egg rolls into heated oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or rack. Serve with plum or duck sauce, and top with sesame seeds or chopped spring onions, if desired.

Tips:
You can usually find ready-made egg roll wrappers in the produce section of your grocery store.
I like to serve the egg rolls with duck sauce. I tried a recipe for home made duck sauce, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. One of these days I'll get around to finding the right recipe. And when I do, I'll be sure to pass it on!

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