American Egg Rolls and Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipes

Egg rolls are a great Chinese New Year Appetizer. They taste great warm or cold, left over can be toasted and taste even better. The american egg rolls are widely accepted among americans using thicker wraps. I have tried serving many different kind of egg rolls including Chinese,Vegetarian and Singaporean at parties. But if you have non-Asians coming to your party, it is best to stick to the traditional american egg rolls or the Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Generally, egg rolls mean using a thicker wrap/skin. Spring Rolls means using a thinner wrap/ rice paper. Personally, I prefer the thinner spring roll wraps which you can get from any chinese grocery store. My favorite brand of course is Singapore made, TYJ Spring Roll Pastry. But you can try others. It looks like this. 

 
The Vietnamese Fried Spring Roll is also a favorite among non- Asians. It is light and very crunchy and uses shrimp and thinner wraps. I like the non fried ones but I won't recommend for a large party because it dries out rather quickly and tastes like plastic after that. These rolls can make ahead way in advance. Usually 2-3 weeks ahead, deep freeze them and fry them up on the day of party. But remember to keep their wraps dry so they don't stick together in freezing or burst when fried. If your guests like spicy, serve with a spicy sriracha sauce or a Spicy Thai Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham). 

Note: You can be creative. One time, I had a box of left over Pad thai, I wrap them up into small rolls and fried them up and they made an excellent appetizer. A close Thai friend of mine makes Fabulous Shrimp rolls loaded with only Shrimp and carrots and they are to die for. 

American Egg Rolls Via All recipes.com.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 quart peanut oil for frying
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage
  • 2 ounces shredded carrots
  • 8 (7 inch square) egg roll wrappers
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Directions 

1.Season pork with ginger and garlic powder and mix thoroughly. Heat mixture in a medium skillet, stirring, until pork is cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside.

2.In another large skillet heat oil to about 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) or medium high heat. While oil is heating, combine flour and water in a bowl until they form a paste. In a separate bowl combine the cabbage, carrots and reserved pork mixture. Mix all together. 
3.Lay out one egg roll skin with a corner pointed toward you. Place about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cabbage, carrot and pork mixture on egg roll paper and fold corner up over the mixture. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll. Brush a bit of the flour paste on the final corner to help seal the egg roll. 
4.Place egg rolls into heated oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or rack. Put on serving plate and top with sesame seeds if desire.
Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls Recipe via http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vietnamese-Fried-Spring-Rolls-231177
Ingredients

  • 7 1/2 oz very thin bean thread noodles (in small skeins, also known as cellophane or mung bean noodles*)
  • 2 oz dried wood ear mushrooms
  • 1 medium shallot
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 cups grated carrots (4 to 5 carrots)
  • 1 lb ground pork shoulder
  • 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce (preferably from Phu Quoc)
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 lb shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
  • 25 (8-inch) square frozen spring roll pastry wrappers made with wheat flour, thawed
  • 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
  • About 6 cups vegetable oil
Preparation 
Put noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water by several inches. Soak, pulling noodles apart and stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Drain noodles and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces (you should have about 3 cups), then transfer to another large bowl.
Put mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water by several inches. Soak 15 minutes. Drain and rinse mushrooms thoroughly, then drain again. Trim off and discard any hard parts from mushrooms. Finely chop mushrooms. (You should have about 2 cups.) Add to noodles.
Pulse shallot and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped, then add to noodles along with carrots, pork, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and salt. Pulse shrimp in processor until coarsely ground. (Do not overprocess or it will become pasty.) Add shrimp to noodle mixture. Mix with your hands until well combined. Chill filling, covered with plastic wrap, until cold.
Assembly
Line 2 trays with wax paper.
Transfer one fourth of filling to a small bowl and keep remainder chilled, covered. Place 1 wrapper on a work surface, keeping remaining wrappers covered with a clean kitchen towel (to prevent them from drying out). Cut wrapper diagonally in half to form 2 triangles. With long side of 1 triangle nearest you, put 2 tablespoons filling along middle of long edge of triangle, and shape filling into a thin 5-inch log. Fold left and right corners of wrapper over filling, overlapping slightly and aligning bottom edges. (Wrapper will resemble an open envelope.) Dab top corner with yolk, then roll up wrapper away from you into a long thin roll, making sure ends stay tucked inside. Place on a tray, seam side down. Repeat with remaining triangle. Make more rolls in same manner with remaining wrappers and filling, keeping trays of rolls chilled, loosely covered, until ready to fry.
Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a 5- to 6-quart pot over moderately high heat until it registers 365°F on thermometer. Fry rolls in batches of 5 or 6, keeping rolls apart during first minute of frying to prevent sticking, until golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. (Return oil to 365°F between batches.) Transfer as fried to a colander lined with paper towels and drain rolls upright 2 to 3 minutes. To eat, wrap hot or warm rolls in lettuce leaves and tuck in mint and cilantro leaves. Serve with dipping sauce.

Cooks' notes: · Rolls can be assembled (but not fried) 1 month ahead and frozen, wrapped well in foil. Thaw in refrigerator before frying. · Sauce and filling can be made 4 hours ahead and chilled separately, covered.