# Chicken Spring Rolls with Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Feb 18, 2008)

This is from one of my cookbooks. When I made them while living in Navy Housing, in California, I don't know how she knew it, but a freind of my wife would be knocking at the door. She lived clear on the other side of the parking lot & must have had a phenominal sniffer. I mean, every time I made them! She was nuts about them. I've had similar reactions from some freinds in Canada. Oh, and when I wrote the book, I mistakenly called them Egg-Rolls. I have since learned the difference between the two, and so offer the corrected term. I'll have to correct the book now as well.

Taken from "You Can Be A Great Cook with Poultry" by Robert Flowers:

Chicken Egg Rolls
Well start with something almost everybody knows and loves; Egg rolls. Such an incredible flavor. And yet, many people dont like them due to the soggy, often mushy cabbage found in the commercially prepared varieties. The egg rolls you will make from this recipe are crispy and filled with flavors and textures sure to please the most discriminating palate. They feature the goodness of oriental vegetables, stir fried into a delicious filling (hint: Though this is a chicken recipe, you can change the meat to beef, pork, duck, lamb, shrimp, scallops, etc. They all work equally well with the veggies).
We had a neighbor who seemed to have a sixth sense where egg rolls were concerned. We never knew how she knew, but whenever I whipped up a batch of egg rolls, Lou (short for Louise) would show up at our doorstep. Now mind you, she wasnt a mooch by nature. But she couldnt resist these little beauties.
This recipe takes time. It works best when multiple people work on it. You can throw an Egg Roll party where you invite your friends and/or family to participate in the production. Youll be amazed at how many people will take you up on the offer. And youll be the head chef of course.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. cut up frying chicken 
1/4 cup sliced and halved water chestnuts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped bamboo shoots
1/4 cup diced onion
2 stalks celery, sliced
 green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Ground ginger
2 tbs. Soy sauce
scant dash of Chinese 5 spice powder
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 package egg roll skins
1 cup peanut oil + 2 tbs.
Skin and bone the chicken. Place the skin and bones in two cups of boiling water and cover. Turn heat down to simmer. While the chicken skins and bones are cooking, finely dice the chicken meat into 1/4 inch pieces. 
Heat 2 tbs. of the peanut oil in a steel wok, or large heavy skillet (I prefer seasoned cast iron if Im not using my wok). Add the chicken and half of the salt. Cover with a lid and cook for about seven minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the cooked chicken to a large bowl (very large) and pour any juices from the pan into the boiling chicken stock.
Return the wok to the stove and reheat. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, bok choy, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots. Stir fry on highest heat setting for five minutes without lid. Remove the cooked vegetables to the bowl with the chicken. Add the spices and soy sauce to the bowl and mix well.
Place the bean sprouts into the wok and cover. Add  cup water to the wok. Cook for seven to ten minutes until the bean sprouts turn white and loose there translucent quality. Add to the meat and vegetable mixture and toss thoroughly. Place bowl where you can easily reach into it and let cool for ten minutes.
Remove the skin and bones from the broth and discard. Add water to make two cups of broth. Use the broth as the basic stock for pineapple sweet and sour sauce.

Place an egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface and moisten all edges with water.  Place a tbs. of the filling in the top-third of the sking and spread in a line to withing 1/2 inch of the edges.  Fold the side edges inward to cover a portion of the filling.  Roll from the top downward, taking care to maintain the side folds.  Set on a wire rack to dry for about 5 minutes.

Place the egg rolls in 360 degree oil and deep fry until golden brown.  Serve imediatley.

Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce:

Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce
This syrup based sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated. It compliments egg rolls, chicken stir fries, won tons, etc. It can also be used with ham and pastas.
*
Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth  (water can be used if no broth is available)
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 tbs. onion powder or 1/4 onion finely chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
16 oz. can crushed or chunk pineapple (substitute  cup lemon juice if used for seafood)
 cup firmly packed brown sugar (substitute  cup white granulated sugar if lemon juice is used)
1/8 cup balsamic, or apple cider vinegar
1/4 chopped sweet pepper (optional but omit if lemon juice is used)
2 tbs. cornstarch mixed with 4 oz. water
*
Combine ingredients in order. After adding brown sugar, taste. Sauce should be fairly sweet with the ginger and chicken flavors tickling, not stomping the taste buds. Add vinegar and taste again. Add more brown sugar or vinegar as needed. But be careful. It is much easier to add just a bit more of something than it’s to try to remove it, or compensate for a too strong flavor. 
Mix the cornstarch and water together, and pour into the gently boiling sauce. Stir rapidly to distribute until the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and cover.
*
Crushed pineapple is better for egg rolls, won tons, tempura coated items. Chunk pineapple is good with pork chops, ribs, chicken pieces, etc.


Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 18, 2008)

Yum! Sounds delicious!


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## LadyCook61 (Feb 22, 2008)

Goodweed of the North said:


> This is from one of my cookbooks. When I made them while living in Navy Housing, in California, I don't know how she knew it, but a freind of my wife would be knocking at the door. She lived clear on the other side of the parking lot & must have had a phenominal sniffer. I mean, every time I made them! She was nuts about them. I've had similar reactions from some freinds in Canada. Oh, and when I wrote the book, I mistakenly called them Egg-Rolls. I have since learned the difference between the two, and so offer the corrected term. I'll have to correct the book now as well.
> 
> Taken from "You Can Be A Great Cook with Poultry" by Robert Flowers:
> 
> ...


 

oh sounds so good!


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## suziquzie (Feb 22, 2008)

Not sure how I missed these before. They sound great I'll have to try them. Thank you!


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## GotGarlic (Feb 22, 2008)

That sounds really good, but rather involved. I use this recipe; sometimes I substitute cooked chicken for the shrimp and I use Thai basil (or sweet basil if I don't have Thai) instead of cilantro (I can never get enough basil in the summer ): Fresh Spring Rolls With Thai Dipping Sauce - Allrecipes


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