Chinese Spring Rolls

The spring roll is a traditional Chinese festival food, eaten at Chinese New Year, which officially heralds the coming of spring. The spring roll is basically a thin pancake-like wrapper encasing a mixture of meat and vegetables that is deep-fried until crisp and golden. The fillings used in spring rolls vary throughout the regions of China, with each region claiming theirs as the best.

INGREDIENT

For the filling:
3 tablespoons groundnut (peanut oil)
3 oz (90 g) ground (minced) pork
3 oz (90 g) fresh uncooked (green) shrimp (prawns), shelled, deveined, and cut into small bite-size pieces
1 cup 8 oz/250 g) finely sliced boneless chicken breast
1 cup (4 oz/125 g) finely shredded celery
1 cup (3 oz/90 g) bean sprouts
1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) finely shredded bamboo shoots (available at Chinese stores)
6 Chinese dried mushrooms (available at Chinese stores), soaked for 45 minutes, stalks removed, and finely shredded

For the seasonings:
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour), mixed in 1/3 cup (3 fl oz/90 ml) cold water, for thickening
10 spring roll wrappers, approximately 7 inches (17.5 cm) square (available ready-made at Chinese stores)
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour), mixed in 1 tablespoon cold water, to make a paste for sealing the edges of the spring rolls
4 cups (1 qt/1 l) groundnut (peanut) oil, for deep-frying

METHOD

Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok, and stir-fry the ground pork over high heat for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add all of the remaining filling ingredients and cook for 1 minute. Add the seasonings; then, stir in the thickening. Discard any excess liquid; there should be only enough moisture to "cling" to the mixture.

Spread 2 tablespoons of the filling evenly across the corner of a spring roll wrapper. Fold in the sides and firmly roll up shaping as firm and as round as possible. Moisten the edges of the sheet with a little of the cornstarch paste to seal the edges. Continue filling the remaining wrappers in the same way, lay them on a plate, and cover with plastic wrap until ready to cook.

Heat enough oil to cover the spring rolls to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep-fry the rolls until crisp and golden brown (4-5 minutes). Drain on paper towels. The spring rolls can be kept warm in a low oven (250 degrees F/120 degrees C/Gas 1/2) with the oven door ajar until you have completed the deep-frying.