MARTHA LIAO'S SPRING ROLLS

Martha Liao's Spring Rolls image

Prepare this family recipe for spring rolls, from opera singer Hao Jian Tian and Martha Liao, his wife, for a special or everyday occasion. Also try: Martha Liao's Peking Duck

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes about 5 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

2 (3.75-ounce) packages of cellophane noodles
1 small head napa cabbage, shredded (about 8 cups)
Canola oil, for frying
Coarse salt
2 pounds lean ground pork
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing (Chinese cooking wine) or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
5 scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
40 to 50 spring roll wrappers
1 large egg, beaten

Steps:

Place cellophane noodles in enough hot water to cover; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and cook, stirring, until coated with oil. Season with salt and cover; cook until cabbage is soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer cabbage to a large bowl; set aside.
Add enough oil to lightly coat bottom of skillet. Add pork, garlic, and ginger; stir to combine. Add soy sauce, wine, and sugar. Whisk cornstarch together with 1/4 cup water until well combined. Add to skillet and cook, stirring, until mixture is thickened and pork is cooked through.
Drain cellophane noodles, cut into 2-inch pieces and add to skillet; stir in scallions and sesame oil. Transfer pork mixture to bowl with cabbage; toss to combine. Let filling stand until cool, about 4 hours.
Place 1 wrapper on a work surface, with 1 corner facing you. (Keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp kitchen towel.) Arrange 2 tablespoons filling in a mound in center of wrapper. Fold bottom corner over filling, then fold in sides halfway. Roll wrapper to form a tight cylinder, leaving top corner exposed. Brush top corner with a little of the beaten egg, and press to seal. Cover with a damp kitchen towel. Repeat process with remaining wrappers and filling.
Fill a large heavy-bottomed saucepan halfway with canola oil. Heat over medium-high heat until temperature reaches 365 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, cook spring rolls, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat process with remaining spring rolls; serve hot.