How to Make Homemade Egg Rolls - A Witch's Version of Chinese Takeout Part 1

Happy New Year everyone, and welcome to a brand new season of The Kitchen Witch!!!

To kick off everything in style, I thought I would ask you to travel back in time with me to when I was a teenager and the biggest treat our family could ever imagine was when my dad got a hankering for Chinese food and would order take out!

Oh the sweet wonder!

And it was always the same...

Egg Rolls, Sweet and Sour Boneless  Pork, Shrimp Fried Rice, and Chicken Chow Mein - a tradition that has remained to this day because these are the four things I always order when I get a yen for Take Out.

Except...

As I get older, I notice I'm far more sensitive to things like MSG or fatty meat disguised by sweet and sour sauce - which is why I began cooking "Chinese Take Out at Home" and am excited to bring you a four part tutorial to teach you how to create these four classic Chinese food dishes starting today with egg rolls!

Please enjoy my step by step tutorial video.

To visit the printable recipe for today's egg rolls, please visit here: Egg Rolls


 


Ingredients

• 1 pkg egg roll covers (I use Wong Wing wrappers because they remind me of the old fashioned style Chinese wrappers all egg rolls came in when I was growing up - but larger spring roll wrappers will also work with this recipe)
• 3 cups plus 1 tsp peanut oil
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 pound lean, boneless pork
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced red pepper
• 4 chopped button mushrooms
• 1 tsp fresh minced ginger
• 1 tsp fresh minced garlic
• 1 cup cooked shrimp meat
• 1 cup chopped water chestnuts
• 1/4 Asian Flavour Boost (recipe to follow)
• 2 cups shredded cabbage (I use pre-made coleslaw mix)
• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 1 beaten egg

 Asian Flavour Boost

• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Siracha chile sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Whisk all the flavour boost ingredients together. You can make this boost ahead of time and use it in any number of Asian style dishes like lettuce wraps, meatballs, stir fries, and soups.

Directions

1. Place the boneless pork into a food processor and grind 3-4 pulses until the meat resembles high quality ground pork.
2. Heat 1 tsp of peanut oil with 1 tsp sesame oil over medium high heat in a wok or skillet and add the ground pork, onions, celery, red pepper, and mushrooms, and saute until the meat is cooked through the vegetables are growing soft. 
3. Turn heat to low and add the ginger, garlic, and Asian Flavour Boost. Continue to stir and saute until everything is well combined. 
4. Add the shrimp meat, and water chestnuts and stir again. 
5. Mix the cabbage and bean sprouts together in a large bowl and stir the hot pork mixture over all, mixing until everything is combined. 
6. Return the mixture to a food processor and pulse just until the mixture resembles a mulch (as per the video) Cool completely and drain any excess liquid through a strainer before filling the egg rolls.
7. Roll the egg rolls as per video instructions and deep fry 4-6 at a time in a wok filled with three cups of peanut oil heated to between 350 and 375 degrees until golden and crispy. This should take about a minute and a half, turning the egg rolls as per the video during the cooking process.
8. Cool and drain on baking racks. 

Additional Notes

1. The egg rolls can be made ahead and frozen just after they're wrapped and rolled.
2. To fry frozen egg rolls, do not defrost the egg rolls – just add them to the oil frozen, frying 4 to 6 at a time. Add an additional 1½ minutes to the frying time.
3. They can also be made earlier in the day. Cover and keep at room temperature. Five minutes before serving, place on baking sheets and flash in a 475 oven for 3-5 minutes until warmed through and crispy. 

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Author:

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.

Visit her daily on her blog, The Kitchen Witch or on her YouTube Channel, CHARMED With The Kitchen Witch.