MINI EGG ROLLS Makes 40 to 50. By Dennis W. Viau; from a girlfriend in college. This is an almost identical recipe to my regular egg rolls recipe, with a couple of exceptions. I added sesame oil because I discovered the exotic flavor of sesame oil since I originally wrote the recipe in my college days. And these are made with won ton wrappers for little egg rolls that are perfect as finger food at a buffet. I needed to make something for a gathering here in the trailer park; so these were my contribution. Ingredients: For the Filling: 6 ounces (127g) finely chopped meat (optional), such as turkey, chicken, pork, ham, shrimp, whatever 2 stalks celery; diced 3 green onions; diced 2 ounces (57g) bean sprouts; diced 2 or 3 sprigs Italian (flat leaf) parsley; leaves only, finely chopped ¼ teaspoon fresh ginger root; minced 2 cloves garlic; minced or crushed with a garlic press 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon fish sauce (extract of anchovy) or 1 anchovy fillet A few gratings of fresh ground pepper Any herbs you like (dash of tarragon, marjoram, oregano, etc.) ½ teaspoon sesame oil For the Egg Rolls: Won ton wrappers 6 cups vegetable oil for frying Optional Dipping Sauce: 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar ¼ teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder 2 tablespoons plum sauce or apricot jam Directions: Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Place a teaspoon of filling on a won ton wrapper and roll up, sealing the last corner with a little water. (See the photographs below for step-be-step illustrations of this technique.) Heat oil to 375 F (190 C) in a deep saucepan. Fry egg rolls, about 10 at a time (do not crowd the pan), turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Use a metal strainer or spider to transfer to paper towels to drain. Use a whisk to combine the Dipping Sauce ingredients and pour into small individual serving-size bowls. Serve warm. The Step By Step guide begins on the following page. 1 20121021
1 STEP-BY-STEP 2 There are no difficult ingredients in these egg rolls. The ingredients should be easily found in most grocery stores. The won ton wrappers are usually stored in the refrigerated section. The one ingredient that might be difficult to locate is the fish sauce, which is extract of anchovy. It can sometimes be found on the Oriental aisle; otherwise, you might need to look in an Asian grocery. You can substitute 1 anchovy fillet, or leave it out altogether. I like the flavor of fish sauce. By itself it smells repulsive, but added to a recipe it yields a pleasant flavor. I occasionally use it to add depth to soup. 2 The meat and vegetables should be finely chopped. This takes a little time. As is the case with most Chinese cooking, the preparation takes most of the time. You can complete this step in advance. Put the vegetables in the refrigerator without the flavorings and salt (which would cause the vegetables to wilt) and return a few hours later to complete the preparation.
3 3 All the preparation is done and the ingredients are ready to assemble into the egg roll filing. 4 Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl. Notice the dark color. Unlike most egg rolls or spring rolls, which are a little smaller these are full of meat.
5 How to wrap mini egg rolls: 4 Rolling mini egg rolls is just like rolling full-sized egg rolls, except you re working with smaller wrappers and therefore using smaller amounts of filling. Start by placing a wrapper on the counter with one corner nearest you. Spoon about a teaspoon of filling onto the wrapper, near one corner. 6 Fold the corner over the filling and begin rolling, just a little (it s small) toward the opposite corner.
7 5 Fold over the two side corners, enclosing the filling. 8 Roll up the filling almost to the opposite corner. Wet the final corner (place a little bowl of water within reach).
9 6 Finally, roll the rest of the way and lightly press the final corner into place so that it sticks. 10 Line a tray or small baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper to hold your egg rolls until you re ready to fry them.
11 7 Heat the oil to 375 F (190 C). Use an oil-safe thermometer to monitor the temperature. These egg rolls are so small, they cook quickly. Fry until golden, 2 to 3 minutes, and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Let drain a few minutes and then arrange on a platter for serving. 12 Besides being delicious, they have excellent presentation value. The moisture in the egg rolls will start to soften the shells; so for the crispiest egg rolls, try to serve immediately.
Conclusion The recipe and video for these mini egg rolls came about because I was invited to a trailer park party. We were told to bring finger foods something that would be easy to eat without the need for plates and flatware. I used to make these little egg rolls for parties when I was in college. So I decided to make them for the trailer park party, doing the photography and video for my web site. Note: You can typically reuse deep fat frying oil 2 or 3 times more, but you ll probably not want to reuse this oil. It will have a dark color and some fine debris in the bottom. This is from the sauces in the egg rolls. 8