CHINESE TAKE OUT EGG ROLLS

Chinese Take out Egg Rolls image

The egg rolls often served in Chinese restaurants can be poor imitations of what egg rolls should be. They suffer from what the restaurant industry refers to as "sand-bagging". It means your rolls have probably been made hours in advance, stacked and ready for a reheat after you order it. This process tends to result in soggy or tough exteriors, not to mention higher grease retention. Our version is crispy on the outside with lots of pork, shrimp, and well-seasoned vegetables, and is likely to be the best egg roll you've ever eaten. From The Take-Out Menu Cookbook.

Provided by TxGriffLover

Categories Chinese

Time 1h30m

Yield 12 Eggrolls

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 (1 inch) knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch green onion, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 celery rib, minced
10 shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, and caps thinly sliced
1/2 head napa cabbage or 1/2 head Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and diced
1/2 lb ground pork
1 (16 ounce) package egg roll wraps
1 egg, beaten
2 -3 cups peanut oil or 2 -3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Chinese mustard, plum sauce or sweet chili sauce, for serving

Steps:

Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, green onions, celery, carrot, and mushrooms and saute for about 3-4 minutes, or until they soften. Add the cabbage and saute for another minute or two. Add the shrimp and pork and cook, tossing and stirring vigorously, for about 2 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
Add the reserved sauce and toss to incorporate. Remove from the heat and set aside until cool to the touch.
Cover the egg roll wrappers with a piece of plastic wrap. Place 1 wrapper on a work surface with one point facing you. Spread 1/4 cup of the filling horizonally across the lower third of the wrapper. Fold the bottom point over the filling, tightening the wrap over the filling, and fold in the side corners. Brush the top corner with the egg wash and roll up the wrapper tightly, sealing the roll closed. Transfer the rolls as they are made to a parchment-lined sheet pan and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Fill the.
rest of the wrappers in the same manner.
Preheat the oven to 200º.
In a wide, heavy pot, heat 2 inches of oil to 360º over medium heat. Carefully add 4 egg rolls to the oil and fry, turning them with a slotted spoon after about 2 minutes as they brown on the bottom. Fry on the second side for another 2 minutes, or until they brown. Transfer the egg rolls to a sheet pan lined with a double thickness of paper towels. Fry the remaining egg rolls in batches of 4. When they are all browned,.
the egg rolls can be kept warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes.
Serve hot with Chinese mustard, plum sauce, or sweet chile sauce.
Variation: To make vegetarian egg rolls, substitute 6 oz of cubed tofu for the pork and shrimp.
Make Ahead: The egg rolls can be assembled, but not cooked, covered and refrigerated for up to 8 hours or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for 3 hours before frying.