crispy spring rolls
Spring rolls are one of the best party foods, imo! I made this filling for my book launch event for The Vibrant Hong Kong Table at Welcome to Chinatown, using farm fresh, seasonal ingredients from Local Roots NYC. I used smoked tofu (instead of tempeh that's in my book) to compliment the earthy root vegetables and hearty kale for spring rolls that would work well with any holiday table.
ingredients
(Makes around 50)
For the filling:
15 carrots, julienned
3 or 4 watermelon radishes, julienned
1 bunch kale, finely shredded
1 pack smoked tofu, cut into thin strips
5 scallions, julienned
2 Tbsp neutral oil
3 Tbsp vegan oyster sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
To assemble:
1 pack spring roll wrappers (large ones cut in half diagonally)
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp water, to seal
2 cup [450 ml] neutral oil, for shallow-frying
method
Make the filling: In a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Stir-fry the carrots and radishes for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened. Add the kale, smoked tofu, and scallions, tossing to combine. Season with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large dinner plate, spreading it out and setting aside to cool to room temperature. Stir the mixture from time to time to release the steam.
Assemble: Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling about 1 in [2.5 cm] from one corner of a wrapper on the diagonal in a 1 by 3 in [2.5 by 7.5 cm] strip. Fold the right and left corners in toward the center of the wrapper, then proceed to roll the parcel up like a burrito, ensuring that the filling is snugly wrapped. Use your fingertip to dab a little of the cornstarch paste on the last open corner to seal the wrapper closed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. NOTE: At this point you can freeze the assembled rolls for future use. Place the assembled spring rolls on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet directly in the freezer. Make sure to leave a little space in between each spring roll so they don’t stick to one another. After 3 hours, when the spring rolls are frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container.
To cook: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Shallow-fry the spring rolls until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side if freshly made, and a little bit longer if frozen. Be careful of the hot oil splattering when frying frozen spring rolls. Serve hot or at room temperature with Scallion Ginger Sauce (that recipe is in The Vibrant Hong Kong Table).
