Title: Vegetarian Eggrolls
Categories: Chinese
Yield: 6 Servings
1 lb Pkg eggroll skins; usually
-frozen
1 Jar Chinese hot mustard
1 Jar Duck sauce or plum
-sauce; or make your own
MMMMM--------------------------FILLING-------------------------------
4 c Green cabbage; shredded
1 1/2 c Onion; sliced
3 cl Garlic; up to 4
3 ts Fresh ginger root; grated
1 lb Fresh mung bean sprouts
2 c Celery; thinly sliced
1 oz Dried black mushrooms
1/2 c Dry sherry or Chinese rice
-wine
1/4 c Tamari sauce
Salt & black pepper
2 Scallions; minced; including
-the greens
1/2 c Green pepper; minced
3 tb Vegetable oil
2 ts Sugar
1 c Water chestnuts; thinly
-sliced
1 tb Sesame seeds
Give yourself about a 3 hour head-start on this project. There's much
chopping involved, and the filling needs to be pre-cooked, cooled, and
drained before the rolls can be filled and fried.
Your 1 lb pkg of eggroll skins will contain enough for 12-14 large
rolls. Two per person are enough for a main dish. If you want to
serve eggrolls as appetizers, cut them into smaller chunks after
they're fried. You'll have enough for a good-sized crowd. And you can
always freeze a filled, unfried eggroll. Just dust the outside with a
little extra corn starch, place on a corn-starched plate, and seal
the whole thing in a plastic bag. Don't defrost before frying--just
pop the frozen eggrolls into hot oil.
Filling:
Soak black mushrooms in boiling water, drain, and thinly slice.
Use a wok or a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet. Heat the
oil first, and add the crushed garlic and ginger. Toss for several
minutes over medium heat, then add the onions and sprinkle lightly
with salt. Stir and fry for 5 minutes before throwing in the cabbage
and celery. Salt lightly again, and shake in a generous amount of
black pepper.
Stir and fry 8 to 10 minutes. Add sherry, sugar, mushrooms, water
chestnuts, bean sprouts, and sesame seeds. Stir-fry over medium-high
heat for about 8 more minutes, until the liquid partially evaporates.
Remove from heat.
Add raw scallions and green pepper and toss in tamari sauce. Let stand
20-30 minutes, until cool. Drain it by placing a collander or large
strainer over a kettle and pouring the filling in. Let it sit and
drain at least 15 minutes. Save the drained-off liquid for soup,
sauce, or vegetable-steaming water. Now, taste your filling to
correct the seasoning. It may want more salt, pepper, or sherry.
Hopefully, it won't want less. In any case, pour yourself a glass of
sherry and take a break. Sit down and meditate on the shape of
envelopes.
To construct an eggroll:
Use one hand as corn-starch duster. Use the other as water-sealer.
Keeping hands separate keeps them unsticky.
Place the corn starch on one side of the work space. On the other
side, place a small bowl of water and the large bowl of filling. In
the middle, work on the eggrolls.
Place a skin down on the surface in front of you on the diamond-axis.
Lightly dust some corn starch onto surface of same skin.
Place a healthy 1/2 c filling on the lower center section.
Roll up as if it were an envelope, folding in the sides, so that no
filling is exposed or otherwise threatened.
Sprinkle some water on the top point and the roll will seal itself.
Dust the completed roll with corn starch. Set aside and repeat until
all rolls are filled.
