Egg Rolls and my Ex, *Name Redacted*

When I go out for Chinese food, I gotta say that I enjoy the appetizers almost if not more than the main courses.  I know part if it is because of the hot mustard that comes with everything.  Love to have that sinus-clearing heat.

But just as important is the taste and I really like to snack on as many of the egg rolls and fried shrimp that I can negotiate away from the people at the table. 

Now in an earlier life, it was much easier to do.  My ex-wife was not an adventurous eater.  I call her  "Swinbin", the vocalization for the abbreviation S.W.W.N.B.N, or She Who Will Not Be Named, and in this blog, she will be named thusly for both legal and personal reasons.  Anything out of the ordinary was frightening.  I'd perform my food experimentations during my college years and there were things she wouldn't even try.  We're not talking about sauteed squid or beef liver here.  We're talking very common fare.  And egg rolls were a scourge.  Therefore, I'd always have an extra egg roll or two whenever we ordered Chinese.  Guess she was good for something. 

Anyway, in an effort to develop an Asian menu at home, I've been formulating different egg roll recipes.  The wrappers themselves are great mediums for all types of food, like the Southwest versions of these nuggets of goodness.  They look like they could be daunting to the home chef, but actually, they're no more difficult than a burrito... or really a chimichanga, since there is frying involved.  You prep and cook the filling, wrap them up, and then deep fry them. 

And frying shouldn't be a challenge to regular readers of the blog, since we're fried everything from shrimp to fish to chicken.  These come out crispy and delicious and if you seal them correctly and allow them to rest on a cooling rack for a minute or two after cooking, they aren't oily at all.  Don't let these little appetizers scare you!

By the way, my current wife (definitely an upgrade over Swinbin) will eat a restaurant egg roll occasionally if they're not too oily.  When it comes to these, well, she'll gobble them up with no complaint at all.

Egg Rolls

Makes 5-8 large egg rolls

2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup chicken, shrimp, beef or pork, cut into very small pieces
1-2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 green onions (scallions), sliced very small
1/2 cup carrots, chopped into matchsticks
1/4 cup bean sprouts
2 cups cabbage, cut into very skinny strips
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Low sodium if you have it)
1 teaspoon sugar
Package of egg roll/wonton wrappers

Place 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok and crank it up to medium high heat.  Cook whatever protein you plan on adding in and set it aside for later.  Add another tablespoon of oil and heat it up again.  Add the ginger, garlic, scallions and carrots and stir-fry for about 3 minutes.

Pour the chicken broth, soy sauce and sugar into a small bowl and mix thoroughly.  Take the cabbage and bean sprouts and pour them on top of the items in the wok.  Pour the chicken broth mixture over the cabbage, watching out for steam.  Stir and continue to cook until the cabbage softens, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, add the meat, and allow to cool to the touch.

Begin assembling the egg rolls.  Place one wrapper on the counter in front of you so one corner is pointing right at you.  Scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture into the center-front of the wrapper.  Fold the sides in first.  If you don't and you deep fry them, some of the oil will leak inside and make them greasy.  Next, roll them up until they're the customary shape.  Wet the edge of the wrapper and tamp it down, so you get another good seal.

There are two ways to cook them.  You can either place a few tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a pan, heat it to medium-high, and pan fry them until all sides are golden brown.  Or you can heat 2 inches worth of oil in a saucepan to 350 degrees, then deep fry them for 2-4 minutes until they are golden brown.  I'd recommend the deep fried version, since they cook more evenly and look better when done.

Serve them with sweet and sour sauce, hot mustard (my personal favorite), or this other little sauce that I whip up occasionally.  Combine 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon hot mustard, 1 teaspoon cocktail sauce and 1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce or srirachi and mix until blended.

So make a batch of these today, and even though you may have to share them, revel in the fact that Swinbin is far, far, far away from you.