Chicken Egg Rolls

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

An Egg Roll Like No Other

A few weeks ago I attended a dinner at Six Thirteen, a local kosher restaurant in Stamford, CT. It was a fabulous multi-course offering served as a "pop up" with the fabulous Dini Schuman Klein of "Dini Delivers" doing the cooking.

Dini is a personal chef, a caterer, food demonstrator, blogger.

Yes, she does it all. She's an energetic young woman whose enthusiasm as well as her food ---- delivers!

The entire meal was wonderful. But two courses stand out as memorable. One was a chicken dish that my friend Liz Arronson Rueven will be blogging about.

The other was an egg roll like you've never had egg roll.

With avocado and cumin. Herb marinated mahi-mahi. Pineapple Salsa. Jalapeno peppers.

That kind of egg roll.

Oh my.

I could have eaten 4 of them, but I was trying to be polite and besides I was at a table with several other people, including Liz and her husband as well as Rabbi Yehuda Kantor and Dina Kantor, so I didn't want to appear gluttonous.

But I did ask Dini if she would give me the recipe.

And so she did.

And so, here it is. It's an ambitious recipe, to be sure. But so, so delicious!

Herb Marinated Mahi Mahi-Avocado Eggroll Served with Papaya Salsa, Chili Lime Sace, and Jalapeño Chimichurri

Marinade:

• 1 large bunch parsley
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 medium fillets mahi mahi (24 oz), thinly sliced in 1-inch thick strips

Papaya Salsa:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 papaya peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• salt to taste

Chili Lime Sauce:

• 1/4 cup sriracha
• 1/2 cup mayo
• juice of 2 limes
• 8 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons chili powder

Jalapeño Chimichurri:

• 2 jalapenos
• 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
•  salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To assemble Eggroll:

• 10 eggroll wrappers
• 1 avocado sliced
• pickled onions (optional)
• canola oil for frying

Directions:

Combine all marinade ingredients in saucepan and bring to simmer. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add fish and let marinate for 1 hour. 

Meanwhile prepare the sauces:

Papaya Salsa: Saute the onion and garlic in oil in a small pot. Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes until thickened and all the flavors have mixed together. Use an immersion blender to create a slightly smoother salsa. Let chill until ready to serve.

Chili Lime Sauce: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. 

Jalapeño Chimichurri: Using a food processor, puree all ingredients until well blended. Transfer to a bowl and cover. 

To assemble the eggrolls:

Lay out an egg roll skin with a corner pointed toward you. Place 1/4 cup fish (straining off as much marinade as possible), 2 slices of avocado in the center, and a tablespoon of pickled onions (if using). Sprinkle the avocado with a touch of salt. Fold the corner closest to you over the filling. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll. Wet the top corner with a drop of water to help seal the egg roll. Continue rolling egg rolls until you've made 10. Place in the oil and fry until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool on a rack or paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately with all three sauces. 

Makes 10