Makes 6 large egg rolls.
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
All-purpose flour
Potato starch
1 small head of cabbage or already prepackaged chopped cabbage.
Matchstick carrots
1/2-pound ground pork, beef, chicken or turkey. You can also use 4 ounces of small shrimp that have been cleaned peeled and deveined.
1 large egg (Cold)
Vegetable or canola oil
Sesame seed oil
Salted butter (Cold)
Bacon fat or lard (Cold)
Vinegar
Sweet rice cooking wine
Apricot preserves
Seasonings
Green onion
Garlic
Salt
Black pepper
Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning
Chef Paul’s vegetable magic
Tools you’ll need
4-quart pot or deep fryer
Thermometer (If using a 4-quart pot)
Large food processor
Rolling pin
Mesh straining spoon or tongs
Cooling rack
Preparation of ingredients
Seasonings
Step 1- Chop a bunch of green onions and press 1 clove of garlic with a garlic press.
Vegetables
Step 2- Slice 1 and 1/2 inches off of a small head of cabbage. Chop the slice of cabbage up using a knife. If you’re using prepackaged chopped cabbage, you don’t have to follow this step. You only need 12 ounces in weight of chopped cabbage.
Step 3- Add a mesh strainer into a large bowl and fill it with water. Add the chopped cabbage and move the cabbage around the water with your hand. Remove the mesh strainer from the water and shake to allow the water to drain. Repeat this step 2 times total.
Step 4- Add a mesh strainer into a large bowl and fill it with water. Add the matchstick carrots and move them around the water with your hand. Remove the mesh strainer from the water and shake to allow the water to drain. Repeat this step 2 times total.
Making the duck sauce
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 5- Add 1/2 cup apricot preserves, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons rice cooking wine, 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce into a small pot. Let simmer for 6 minutes stirring occasionally. Turn fire off and let cool completely before serving. For best results, make 1 or 2 days in advance.
Egg roll wrapper dough
Note- If using premade egg roll wrapper dough, you can skip the steps for making the dough.
Step 6- Add 2 cups all-purpose flour. Remove 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose flour from the food processor and replace it with 2 tablespoons of potato starch. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Pulse 2 or 3 times to get ingredients incorporated.
Step 7- Add 2 tablespoons cubed salted butter (cold), and 2 tablespoons bacon fat (cold). Pulse 15 times or until the butter and the bacon fat have been cut into the flour.
Step 8- Transfer the flour mixture into a medium-sized bowl and add 1/2 cup cold water and 1 large egg (beaten and cold). Stir with a sturdy spoon until mixture starts to come together. Take your hands and form the mixture into a dough. The mixture will appear crumbly at first. If you’re having trouble forming the mixture into a dough. Coat your hands with water and proceed to form the dough.
Step 9- Once the dough has formed, wrap it with plastic wrap. You can leave it out at room temperature or place it into the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, proceed to make the filling and go from there.
Making the cabbage filling
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 10- Add 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil into a large saucepan. Spread it around and let it get hot for 30 seconds.
Step 11- Add 4 ounces in weight of ground pork, beef, chicken, turkey or 4 ounces of small shrimp that have been peeled cleaned and deveined. Stir continuously for 2 minutes. If adding shrimp, reduce the time to 1 minute instead of 2 minutes.
Step 12- Add 2/3 cup chopped green onions. Stir for 1 minute. Add 1 clove pressed garlic and stir continuously for 30 seconds.
Step 13- Add 1/2 cup matchstick carrots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon chef Paul’s vegetable magic. Stir continuously for 1 minute.
Step 14- Add 1 tablespoon sweet rice cooking wine, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Stir all ingredients together. Add 12 ounces in weight of chopped cabbage and 2 teaspoons sesame seed oil. Stir all ingredients continuously for 30 seconds. Turn fire off and again stir continuously for 30 seconds. Let cool until warm or let cool completely.
Rolling out the egg wrapper dough
Step 15- Lightly flour the surface of your table. Add dough on top of your table. Press down with your hands forming a rectangular oval shape. Roll the dough out into 27 inches in length by 15 inches wide rectangle. Once done the dough should be thin. Remove any excess dough and set on the side.
Cutting the dough
Note- If you are using already prepackaged egg roll wrapper dough, you can skip this step.
Step 16- Cut the dough into six 6 and 1/2 inch in length by 6 and 1/2-inches wide squares. Make markings on the dough which you will cut through. Picture demonstrations is below.
Assembling the egg rolls
Step 17- Roll each square of thin dough with the rolling pin. Rub a small amount of water all around the edges of the dough until it turns into a paste. This will allow the dough to seal and prevent the filling from spilling out during the frying process.
Step 18- Add 1/3 or 1/2 cup of the cabbage filling into the middle of each egg roll dough. Use your judgement skills to determine how much of the cabbage filling to add to each egg roll. Picture demonstration is below.
Step 18- Take one corner of the egg roll dough and fold it over the cabbage filling and press down slightly to seal. Take the corners of the dough and fold it over onto the center of the dough and press down slightly to seal. From there roll the dough onto itself. Picture demonstration is below.
Heating the oil and frying the egg rolls.
Preheat your fire to medium heat. If using a deep fryer, preheat to 375 degrees F.
Step 19- Add 48 fluid ounces of vegetable or canola oil into a 4-quart pot. If you are using a deep fryer, add the amount of oil according to the instructions on your deep fryer’s manual to determine how much oil to add. Let the oil get hot until the temperature reaches 375 degrees F.
Note- Make sure you have your cooling rack with an 11 by 17-inch baking pan underneath it ready before frying your egg rolls.
Step 20- Add your egg rolls into the hot oil. Fry only 2 at a time. Let fry for 5 minutes. Frying times vary depending on your pot, deep fryer and stove. Also the egg rolls will start to float at the surface of the oil once they are close to being done.
Step 21- Remove the egg rolls from the hot oil with a mesh straining spoon or tongs. Hold it for a few seconds to allow some the oil to drain off. Place the egg rolls onto a cooling rack with an 11 by 17-inch baking pan underneath it. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
YouTube instructional video
