Posted by GayleL - May 24, 2001

Source: wwltv.com - One of the signature dishes of the Trey Yuen Restaurant - Cuisine of China

Spring Roll Stuffing
6 ounces lean pork, finely shredded
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounces bamboo shoots, finely shredded
6 to 8 medium dried black mushrooms, re-hydrated
1 pound green cabbage, finely shredded

Spring Roll Seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons dry sherry wine
1/2 cup canned chicken broth
2 green onions, thinly cut on a bias
2 teaspoons cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tablespoons water)
20 spring roll wrappers
1 well-beaten egg
1 gallon peanut oil for deep frying

First, mix the shredded pork with the half-teaspoon of soy sauce and the teaspoon of cornstarch for about 5 minutes.

Then preheat your wok or a heavy aluminum skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes with nothing in it.

Then add the peanut oil and the marinated shredded pork and quickly stir-fry it for about 30 seconds. When it is cooked, remove it from the wok with a slotted spoon and allow the excess oil to drain off.

Now immediately reheat the wok to high and drop in the garlic, bamboo shoots, black mushrooms, and cabbage and stir-fry the mixture for about 2 minutes.

Then put the shredded pork back into the wok, shower in the sherry wine, sprinkle in all the seasonings, along with the chicken stock, and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.

Then add the green onions and the cornstarch and stir the mixture again until the liquids in the wok thicken (which should take only a few seconds).

At this point, remove the stuffing from the wok, place it into a colander to cool, and let it drain for a minimum of 2 hours.

When you're ready to wrap your spring rolls, place a wrapper squarely in front of you (not in the diamond shape you used for egg rolls). Then put about 2 heaping tablespoons of the stuffing just below the centerline of the wrapper and spread it evenly crosswise. Now fold the edge nearest to you over the mixture and roll the wrapper up tightly. After the wrapper is rolled about 3/4 of the way, fold over both edges and continue to roll away from you. To finish off the roll and seal the wrap, brush the edge with a little bit of beaten egg.

All that is left is to deep-fry the spring rolls to a crispy golden brown in hot peanut oil set at 350 degrees F. I suggest you drain the rolls for a minute or two on absorbent paper towels before you serve them. And like egg rolls, they should be served with hot mustard and Chinese plum sauces.

Chef's Notes: You can find five-spice powder at all Oriental markets and at most supermarkets in the international foods section. The same markets also have hot mustard and plum sauces.

It is up to you as to which kind of seafood or meats you want to use in your egg rolls and spring rolls. Shrimp, crawfish tails, lobster meat, calamari, scallops, pork, beef, and chicken all make great additions.

If you want to prepare egg rolls and spring rolls for a party, go ahead and assemble them and partially deep-fry them. Then let them cool completely, wrap them in plastic film, and place them in the refrigerator. Then when you re ready to server, take them from the fridge, allow them to warm up slightly, and re-fry them at 325 degrees F until they are crispy and crunchy. This considerably reduces your cooking time.

Spring roll wrappers, unlike egg roll wrappers, are extremely thin and flaky, almost pastry-like. For that reason, they tend to dry out quickly and become difficult to roll once the package is opened. To prevent this from happening, I suggest you keep them covered with a damp towel as you re rolling them. And they, too, like egg rolls, can be twice fried for an extra-crunchy texture.