Post #624296 by Cammo on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 8:52 AM

Heavenly Emperor Egg Rolls, Old School Style

First turn the stereo volume all the way up.

Then jack in your iphone tuned to Pandora Les Baxter Radio.

Now you're ready.

Chop up 1/2 cup of each:
BBQ Pork
BBQ Chicken
Water Chestnuts
Bamboo Shoots
Oyster Mushrooms
and
1 cup of washed, broken bean sprouts:

Chopped -

Wok'em in peanut oil;

Mix up 1 tablespoon of each:

sugar
soy sauce
corn starch

and a bit of salt...
you can add pepper, oyster sauce, anything here.

consistency should be of runny peanut butter:

Mix the Soy Sauce/Corn Starch liquid in. Continue wokking everything until slightly cooked but not too limp. This should still have a crunchy snap. Test at this point, and adjust anything you want, this is what your Egg Rolls are going to taste like:

Fold a small handful into a large egg roll wrapper, moisten all edges to seal it in well.
These wrappers are like $2.49 for 3000 at any Chinese market. Here's how:

Heat some oil in a small pot, we're going to do these one at a time. I use a mixture of peanut oil, canola and sesame oil.
It's simple to see how hot it should be; just drop a piece of egg roll wrapper into it. (see it there in the middle?) When it starts bubbling and cooking you know it's ready.

Drop the Roll in slowly to avoid splashes:

Cook until golden brown:

Serve with Plum Sauce (my fave), Duck Sauce or Soy Sauce & Chinese mustard.

So here's the secret.

Why are Egg Rolls called Egg Rolls?!?!? Cause they're basically Chinese deep-fried dumplings, right? Which are right next to Egg Rolls on the menu usually.

Why "Egg Rolls"?????

Because they were originally rolled in egg! Most restaurants don't do this anymore, but lets's add one step here before you do the big dunk fry. Roll your Egg Roll in a beaten egg, then roll it in Corn Starch. Then deep fry it.

Here's the classic retro result - a bizarre crunchy outer coating that allows you to cook the Egg Rolls for much longer than usual. Is it worth the extra trouble? Some people like it, others don't.

The one on the left has a lot of corn starch stuck on, the one to the right has less, the one in the very back none at all:

Either way, 2 of these are basically a meal.

Laytah,
Cammo

[ Edited by: Cammo 2012-02-09 10:42 ]