# Vietnamese Eggrolls



## phu (Aug 11, 2006)

Please bear with me; it's been quite a while since I made these at all, and I have never written down the recipe.  This might require a few updates. 

Mix:
1 lb ground pork
1 lg (or 2 med) white onion, diced
2 lg carrots, grated
1-2 bn scallions (with greens), diced
1 med head bok choy, diced
1-2 C hydrated bean threads, cut into 1" lengths

Seasoning: (all measurements are VERY approximate and should be interpreted as 'to taste')
Salt (2-3 T)
Black pepper (2 T)
Soy sauce (2-3 T)
Fish sauce (2-3 T)
White vinegar (2 T)
White cooking wine (2 T)
Cooking oil (1-2 T)

2 pkg. eggroll wrappers

Sweet chilii sauce* for dipping

Combine all 'mix' ingredients; add seasoning ingredients and mix well.  If you've made eggrolls, season until it smells right... this is a pretty arbitrary way to do it, but it's really the only way to figure it out, given the raw pork.  A few batches and you'll know what you're looking for.

Anyway, once that's done, mix about 3 T flour with 2-3 T water to get a nice paste.  This is where a lot of people would use eggs or egg whites; using this paste seals just as well and prevents the burning you can get with egg.

Fold one corner of your eggroll wrapper up until the tip is slightly past the midpoint of the wrapper.  Spoon approx (very approx ) 4-5 T filling onto the folded portion.  Roll it forward until it wraps around the filling; fold that edge outward slightly (about an eighth of an inch to form a lip where the fold meets the wrapper.  Roll again until the lip is covered.

Spread a thin line of the flour slurry along the two fully exposed edges of the wrapper.  Fold the sides in and tuck them under where they meet the fold, then finish rolling the... egg... roll.  Sorry if these directions are a little obtuse... there are easier ways to do it, I'm sure, but I like this one.

Anyway, make a plate (this recipe should take at least 1 and a half packages, depending on how full you make your eggrolls), and when you have 8-10 done, start deep frying.  How hot and how long depend on the frier, the size of the rolls and the number you cook... try med/med-high heat with 4 rolls if your frier is deep enough.  I like to put them UNDER the basket to ensure that they cook evenly; it works pretty well.  Check them often; when they're a deep golden brown, pull one out, halve it and see if the pork is cooked.  If it is, pull 'em out, strain 'em, and set 'em on some paper towels.  Repeat ad nauseum.

This is how I was taught to do it when I was in HS, and I have yet to make a change that resulted in any real improvement; these are smiple, very tasty and very inexpensive.

* This is the chili sauce I use, though I have not bought from that particular site.  The sauce is amazing, perfect, wonderful, and if you have not had it, your life is not yet complete.  I am not exaggerating.


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## Andy M. (Aug 11, 2006)

I got everything except the rolling instructions.  Could you take another try at that?


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## phu (Aug 11, 2006)

Hm... OK, I'll give it a shot.

Set the wrapper so that one of the corners is facing you.  Fold the corner towards its opposite corner; what you will end up with is a square that has a triangle 'removed' from the corner facing you.

Place 4-5 T filling (that's probably wrong; you'll be able to figure out the right measurement as you go) along the fold you just made.  Roll that folded section so that it wraps around the filling.

At this point you have what's basically a triangle; two edges are still on the counter, while two are pretty much wrapped up.

Spread a thin line of the flour slurry along the two edges that are still sitting flat.  Fold in the two side corners (this creates the sides of the eggroll and starts the seal).

Now all you have to do is roll it forward, wrapping up the remaining (top) corner and completely sealing the eggroll.


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## amber (Aug 11, 2006)

Oh thanks Phu for posting that.  I know you posted this in Ironchef's post today about our signature dishes. Thanks for posting it here in the ethnic forum. Now I have to read it, and then reply if I have questions.  Thanks so much!


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## phu (Aug 11, 2006)

No problem!  Hopefully it's not too confusing, I know my rolling descriptions are pretty shaky.


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## Andy M. (Aug 11, 2006)

Thanks, that's just what I needed!


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## amber (Aug 11, 2006)

phu said:
			
		

> No problem! Hopefully it's not too confusing, I know my rolling descriptions are pretty shaky.


 
Not confusing at all, I can roll them, I never used flour and water, I just used an egg wash.  Sounds great, I love all the ingredients you use in this eggroll.  Thanks


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## Andy M. (Aug 11, 2006)

Do you freeze these?  Uncooked I assume.


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## phu (Aug 11, 2006)

It is uncooked when it's mixed and rolled, yes.  I have never frozen any of it at any point.  I would think you could freeze the mix, but I would leave out the bok choy and add it before cooking if you do that (and be careful to thaw it slowly so as not to cook the pork before it hits the deep frier).


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## -DEADLY SUSHI- (Aug 12, 2006)

Dear Lord.... this sounds GREAT! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




I shall try it. Thanks for the post!


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## phu (Aug 12, 2006)

hehe, you bet!  They're VERY good.  Just make sure not to cook them too quickly, otherwise you end up with burned outer skin, uncooked inner skin and lots of raw pork.


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## phu (Aug 12, 2006)

THAT's what I forgot!

Add 1-2 C hydrated cellophane noodles/bean threads, cut (kitchen shears work best) into 1" lengths while mixing ingredients.


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## phu (Aug 12, 2006)

Haha... so as I'm mixing this up... wow, I can't believe I forgot soy sauce.  Cooking wine, too. 

Making a half batch tonight -- the mix smells GREAT, and a lot better and more subtle than I remember, so I'm thinking I remembered it better this time than the last few times I made it.


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