Spring Rolls My Mothers Food

FRESH SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix the cabbage, shrimp, sweet and sour sauce, celery and carrots.
• Fill a small bowl with hot water. Dip rice wrappers one at a time into the water. Allow wrappers to soften, then remove from the water and drain. As wrappers are removed from the water, fill each with 2 tablespoons of the cabbage mixture. Roll the wrappers and chill covered until serving.

SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Soak the vermicelli 30 minutes in warm water; drain.
• In a large bowl, mix the vermicelli, eggs, onion, mushrooms, shrimp, pork, vegetable oil, carrot, crabmeat, bean sprouts, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce and garlic.
• One by one, moisten the rice wrappers with a damp tea towel and fill with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vermicelli mixture. Roll the wrappers, and allow them to set for 30 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Fry the spring rolls one or two at a time until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Make mayonnaise: Put the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and whisk well. Begin adding the oil to the yolks a few drops at a time, whisking constantly to emulsify. Continue adding the oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, until all the oil is incorporated. The mixture should be very thick. Whisk in the salt and set aside.
• Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise; set aside. Thinly slice the pork against the grain; set aside. Trim lettuce at either end so that the remaining leaves are about 7-8 inches long; set aside.
• Fill a large bowl with hot water. Dip one sheet of rice paper a quarter of the way into the water, then quickly rotate to moisten the entire sheet. Lay the wet rice paper on a cutting board (lightly oiled, optional). Lay one lettuce leaf over the bottom third of the rice paper, flattening the lettuce to crack the rib; on top of the leaf, layer a generous teaspoon of mayonnaise, about ½ cup of noodles, a few slices of pork, and three mint leaves. Fold in the left and right sides of the rice paper; fold the bottom edge up and over and roll tightly toward the top edge, completely enclosing the filling. Line up three pieces of shrimp, cut side up, in a row on the rice paper, then continue rolling as tightly as possible toward the top edge, tucking in the sides, until you have a firm cylinder. Repeat with the remaining rice paper and ingredients. Cut each roll crosswise into thirds just before serving. (Note: The rolls can be made up to 2 hours in advance. Cover with a damp towel until cutting and serving.)
• For the peanut sauce: In a food processor, grind the peanuts to a chunky powder. Add smashed garlic cloves, miso, ketchup, sugar, lemon juice, and chilies to the peanuts; continue grinding, adding a bit of water to even out the consistency. Add the cooked rice; continue processing, thinning with water as necessary, until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy. Check the flavor, then add the stir-fry sauce and sesame oil and continue processing to combine. Transfer into a bowl. (Note: Peanut sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

MOTHER'S ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, shortening, egg, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until mixture has a spongy texture. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 3 portions. Let rest for 5 minutes. Divide each portion into 36 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball; place 3 balls in each greased muffin cup., Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375° until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks. Serve warm.

SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Prepare filling: Heat oil in a wok. Add meat and stir-fry briefly (until cooked through, if raw). Add vegetables and stir-fry about 2 minutes. Combine chicken broth, oyster sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. Add to wok and stir-fry until sauce thickens. Let filling cool before filling spring rolls (refrigerate if you're in a hurry).
• To prepare each spring roll: Position one wrapper like a diamond with one point facing you. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in a log shape across the bottom about 2" from the lowest corner. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling and tuck it behind the filling. Roll the packet up once to enclose the filling securely. Moisten the three remaining corners of the wrapper with beaten egg. Fold the left and right corners to the center and press down firmly to seal, forming an envelope. Finish rolling up, sealing the top corner. Repeat with remaining packets.
• (Spring rolls may be prepared a few hours ahead and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to cook. Make sure they do not touch each other or the dough will stick together.) In a deep-fryer or wok, heat 4 cups of oil to 360 -375 degrees F. Deep-fry spring rolls a few at a time, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve the spring rolls hot, whole or cut in thirds, with plum sauce as a dip.