For some reason I’ve been craving Chinese food lately and have been experimenting with (and perfecting) various recipes, such as my delicious shrimp stir fry and easy pork pot stickers. The next Chinese dish on my list to make was egg rolls, but I just couldn’t decide on the filling. Then recently, I found deveined shrimp on sale and knew it would be the focus of these yummy egg rolls. The older I get, the more I hate to devein shrimp. Really, really hate. Plus, I always love a good bargain, so shrimp was a no-brainer. I then went to the Grand Asia Market in Cary to pick up the bulk of the other ingredients – the prices are excellent and it’s such a fun and delightful place to shop.

I was quite pleased with my filling for these egg rolls. To make things easy, I used prepackaged Chinese mustard and duck sauce as dipping sauces (cheap, cheap, cheap at aforementioned Grand Asia Market). I know I still need more practice when it comes to rolling egg rolls, but my technique did improve slightly by the time I had finished this batch. The trick is not to overfill the wrappers and to roll them as tight as possible. There are several good videos on YouTube that show you how it’s done.

These egg rolls freeze really well, so make a bunch to enjoy later. I’ve included freezing and reheating instructions at the end of the post.

Ingredients (Makes 20 egg rolls)

• 12 oz. cooked shrimp, roughly chopped
• ¾ cup carrots, coarsely grated
• ¾ cup celery, diced
• ½ cup bean sprouts
• 3 cups Napa cabbage, chopped
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha
• 20 egg roll wrappers
• ½ cup (or so) vegetable oil
• Dipping sauces (I like hot Chinese mustard and duck sauce)

Preparation

Place shrimp, carrots, celery and bean sprouts in a colander. Cover with a paper towel and press down to absorb as much moisture as possible. Let drain for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the drained shrimp, carrots, celery and bean sprouts with the cabbage, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and Sriracha.

Working one at a time, place shrimp mixture (remember, not too much!) in the center of each wrapper.

Bring the bottom edge of the wrapper tightly over the filling, folding in the sides.

Continue rolling until you reach the top. Rub the edges of the wrapper with water and seal.

Place the egg rolls on a baking sheet, cover with foil and refrigerate for at least half an hour to let the flavors meld. Notice that some of these look better than others – practice makes perfect!

Once you’re ready to fry these, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add the egg rolls to the skillet and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Drain egg rolls on paper towels.

I like to serve these as a side to any Chinese entrée, like this chicken and broccoli stir fry.

Or make a delicious lunch and serve them with hot and sour soup.

To freeze the egg rolls, simply place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze until they are firm and then transfer them to plastic bags. I put 3 to 4 egg rolls in a small bag, suck out all of the air, and then place all of the bags in one large bag for added freezer burn protection. Label and date the bag – they should be good for up to 3 months.

To reheat the frozen egg rolls, preheat oven to 400 F. Coat a baking sheet and the egg rolls with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until heated through.

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!

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