The first time I ever cooked a Chinese egg roll I fried the wrapper first and got it nice and crispy. Except that —— when I went to fill it and roll it — um —
And of course, then I realized that it’s a good idea to read the recipe all the way through before you begin to cook.
I never made that particular mistake again.
But I’ve made egg rolls many times. Most of the time I use a vegetables-only filling, but I had a boneless chicken breast on hand and so — this version. Quite delicious, a nice treat for Chinese New Year or whenever.
Chicken Egg Rolls
1 whole boneless chicken breast
6 scallions, shredded
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup shredded bamboo shoot
1 cup bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 egg roll skins
one egg, beaten
vegetable oil for deep fat frying
Shred the chicken and set aside. Place the scallions, cabbage, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts in a bowl and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or stirfry pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stirfry for 1-2 minutes or until all traces of pink have disappeared. Add the vegetables and stir fry for 2 minutes,. Add the soy sauce and salt, mix the ingredients thoroughly and spoon into a colander set over a bowl to drain and cool.
Place some filling in the center of each egg roll skin. Roll one corner over the filling. Cover with two sides, envelope style. Roll until almost the end. Place some beaten egg on the edge and finish rolling, to seal the egg roll.
Heat about 2-inches of vegetable oil in a large, deep pan over high heat, until the oil is hot enough to make a crumb of bread sizzle. Deep fry the egg rolls 2 or 3 at a time, tossing them as they cook, for about one minute or until lightly tan. Lift them out of the pan with a wire basket or large slotted spoon to cool off for about 30 seconds. Return the rolls to the pan and cook for another 1-2 minutes or so until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Makes 8