What better way to celebrate the Chinese New Year or the coming of the spring season than by cooking up some spring rolls? These delicacies, which are much smaller and lighter than egg rolls, get their namesake because they are traditionally made around the Chinese holiday, which is at the beginning of spring. Patricia Yeo, excecutive chef of AZ in New York City, shows how to make Chinese Spring rolls. Check out the recipes below.
POTATO SPRING ROLL KNISHES WITH CRÈME FRAICHE AND CAVIAR Patricia Yeo
Up to one day before serving, assemble the knishes: cover the potatoes with cold salted water, bring to a boil, and boil gently until tender enough to mash smoothly. Grate the onion on the medium holes of a box grater. When the potatoes are cooked, drain well and mash together with the grated onion and 1/2 cup of the crème fraiche. Mix in the salt and pepper.
Lay a spring roll wrapper on a work surface at an angle, so that it looks like a diamond, with one corner pointed towards you. Place a heaping teaspoon of mashed potatoes just below the center of the diamond. Brush the edges lightly with beaten egg. Fold the top corner down to meet the bottom, making an upside-down triangle (or turnover) shape, and press around the edges to seal. Take the two opposite corners of the triangle and bring them together, over the filling. Brush the remaining point of the wrapper with beaten egg.
In a medium pan over high heat, heat the canola oil, turn down heat and with tongs, and add the knish. Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
To serve: cut knish into bite size pieces. Garnish with crème fraiche, caviar (if you are using it) and chives
9123771604813408260497potatoes1pound1 lb. Yukon gold potatoesonion1 onion, peeledcrème fraiche0.75cup3/4 cup crème fraichesalt1teaspoon1 tsp. saltpepper1.5teaspoon1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepperspring roll wrappers1 package spring roll wrappers, thawed if frozenegg1 egg beatencanola oilCanola oil for fryingchivesSnipped chives for garnishsour creamOptional: Additional crème fraiche (or sour cream) and caviar
VIETNAMESE IMPERIAL ROLL WRAPPED IN LETTUCE AND HERBS Patricia Yeo
First soak the rice paper wraps in warm water for about three to four minutes depending on the water. The water should be warm, but cool enough to stick you hands in. The warmer the water, the quicker the soak.
We will have all the ingredients in small bowls. Chop the Napa Cabbage and mix with all the ingredients, except for the rice paper wraps together, to form the filling.
Then roll the filling, about one heaping tablespoon in the soften rice paper. The paper automatically sticks together from the starch from the rice.
In a large pot heat 3 cups of peanut oil to 375 degrees. You can also use canola, but the peanut oil imparts a better flavor and I recommend it.
Fry the imperial rolls for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Serve in lettuce leaves, garnish with cilantro and mint. You may use the same dip as the Vietnamese Summer Rolls in the recipe.
9123771604813408229153rice paper wraps12 rice paper wrapspork or chicken1cup1 cup ground pork or chickenshrimp1cup1 cup chopped shrimpshiitake mushrooms0.5cup1/2 cup julienne shiitake mushroomsonion1 onion finely diced and caramelizedmung bean noodles0.5cup1/2 cup mung bean noodlesnapa cabbage0.5cup1/2 cup Napa cabbage, finely juliennefish sauce0.25cup1/4 cup fish saucesambal2tablespoon2 tablespoons sambalsalt and pepperSalt and pepper
CHINESE SPRINGROLL FILLED WITH VEGETABLESPatricia Yeo
Makes 12 spring rolls
In a large sauté pan, heat up two tablespoons of canola oil. Add 1/2 cup of the onions and 1/2 cup of the eggplant. You can substitute a regular eggplant for the Japanese eggplant, but a regular eggplant tastes more bitter, so you need to dice it, salt it, and let it sit for 1/2 hour, then rinse it well. Also, adapt the soy sauce when you are making the filling, to compensate for the extra saltiness.
Sauté for one minute, then add chili flakes. Deglaze the pan with a 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and a 1/4 cup of the red wine vinegar. Repeat with the remaining onions and eggplant. Reserve.
Sauté the red pepper and mushroom individually. Once cooked, add them to the raw Napa cabbage and cooked eggplant. Cool.
Lay a sheet of the eggroll rappers on a flat surface with a corner pointed toward you. Place a tablespoon of filling on the bottom third of the wrapper. Fold the bottom of the rapper up over the filling, and then fold the sides in around the filling. From the bottom up, keep rolling to form a large cigar. Seal it with egg wash.
Fry in canola oil heated to 350 degree until golden brown approximately three to four minutes.
9123771604813408260492eggroll wrappers12 eggroll wrappers or Philippino “lumpia” wrappereggplant1cup1 cup diced Japanese eggplantonion1cup1 cup diced oniondiced red pepper0.5cup1/2 cup diced red peppernapa cabbage2cup2 cups finely julienne Napa cabbagewhite mushrooms or cremini mushrooms1cup1 cup sliced white mushrooms or cremini mushroomssoy sauce0.5cup1/2 cup soy saucered wine vinegar0.5cup1/2 cup red wine vinegarchili flakes2tablespoon2 tablespoon chili flakescanola oil0.25cup1/4 cup canola oil
Recipes provided courtesy Patricia Yeo.