Spring Rolls
Cantonese spring rolls: thin wheat wrappers rolled around shredded vegetables and pork (or prawn), deep-fried till the shell shatters.
Overview
These spring rolls are filled with a stir-fried mixture of Parma ham, mange tout, red pepper, waterchestnuts, and bean sprouts, wrapped in crisp deep-fried skins. The filling is seasoned with two soy sauces, sesame oil, and sherry, giving a well-rounded savoury flavour with excellent texture.
Ingredients
- 1 packet spring roll skins
- 175 grams Parma ham
- 110 grams mange tout (trimmed)
- 110 grams red pepper (de-seeded)
- 110 grams waterchestnuts (drained)
- 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
- 110 grams fresh bean sprouts
- 4 spring onions (finely shredded)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons dry sherry (or rice wine)
- 1 litre oil (for deep frying)
- 3 tablespoons plain flour (blended with 1 ½ tablespoons water)
Method
To prepare the filling
- Finely shred the Parma ham, mange tout and pepper into very thin slices using a very sharp knife.
- Rinse the waterchestnuts in cold water, drain and slice very finely.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan, add the 1 tablespoon of groundnut oil when the wok is very hot.
- Stir fry the Parma ham and vegetables for 1 minute.
- Add the salt, sugar, soy sauces, sesame oil and sherry or rice wine.
- Stir fry for 3 minutes and tip into a chinois or fine-meshed conical sieve to drain and cool.
To make the pancakes
- Mix the flour paste in a small bowl.
- Put about 3 tablespoons of the cooled filling on each spring roll skin.
- Fold in each side and then roll it up tightly.
- Use the flour paste to seal the open end by brushing a small amount on the edge.
- Press the edge onto the roll to seal.
To cook the pancakes
- Heat the 1 litre of oil in a deep fat fryer or large wok until it is hot and almost smoking.
- Deep fry the spring rolls in several batches until they are golden brown.
- Drain on kitchen paper and serve at once.
Notes
- Drain the filling thoroughly in a fine-meshed sieve before wrapping, excess moisture will make the skins soggy and prone to splitting during frying.
- Roll the spring rolls tightly and seal the edges well with flour paste to prevent them from opening in the oil.
- Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding the oil, which lowers the temperature and results in greasy rather than crisp rolls.
- The filling must be fully cooled before wrapping, otherwise the steam will soften the skins from the inside.
Serving
Serve with: sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, or a light dipping sauce Temperature: hot, immediately after draining Amount: 2-3 rolls per person as a starter or side
Storage
- Store uncooked assembled spring rolls in the fridge for up to 4 hours before frying, covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying out.
- Cooked spring rolls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days and re-crisped in a hot oven.
- Uncooked spring rolls can be frozen on a tray and then bagged; fry from frozen, allowing extra cooking time.
Spring rolls are among the best known Chinese snacks. They are not difficult to make and are a perfect starter for any meal.
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