Chinese Egg Rolls and Sauces

This is a revamped page of a post I did in 2011originally named Chinese Take Out at Home. It was posted before I had a camera and pretty much before I knew what I was doing with regards to blogging. The recipe is banging! By far the best egg roll we've ever eaten because our local take out egg rolls pale in comparison. Also in this post is a Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce I created for my restaurant years ago and also I figured out how to make my own Duck Sauce at home and even that is far better than from you know where. That's not to say there aren't really good Chinese restaurants out there, there just isn't any in my immediate vicinity.

Ordering take out Chinese food can be very expensive. Here is a recipe for homemade egg rolls which can be served with a side of rice and it won't break the bank and fits right into Cooking on a Budget meals plan. I have a link to my rice recipes. Given that if you make white rice as a side to the eggs rolls you may want to leave out any dried basil in my basic rice recipe.  This is one of those meals where you can bring the family together to help make them. Younger children or teens can help fill and wrap them.  It's a great way of spending some quality time together.  Wok and roll!

Egg Roll Recipe

• Wonton wrappers
• .85# Ground Pork
• 4 oz. Ground Chuck
• 1 small bunch scallions diced (use both white and green parts)
• ½ tsp. fresh ginger minced or use dry
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp. Mirin
• 2 tbsp and 1 tsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 small head of Savoy Cabbage, shredded
• ¾ cup shredded Carrots – 1 or 2 large carrots or small bag of already shredded
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 small pinches Chinese Five Spice Powder*
• 1 Egg white beaten (use to seal wonton wrappers)
• 1 tbsp. chicken stock
• 1 ½ tbsp. Olive Oil
• Regular oil for frying

1. In a wok or frying pan cook the ground pork and ground chuck almost all the way through – drain and set aside.
2. In the same pan with olive oil, cook the shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and scallions with garlic, soy sauce, Mirin and spices. If you need some liquid, add a little bit of chicken stock – 1 or 2 tbsp.
3. When this mixture cools, combine with the beef and pork.
4. Fill each wonton with about 2-3 tbsp. of mixture.  Wrap envelope style and use the beaten egg white to seal up the edges.
5. Fry in oil at 350 ° until nice and golden brown.  Use duck sauce, soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce for dipping.

You can make homemade duck sauce by combining apricot jam melted with dry mustard.  Melt 1 jar of apricot jam in the microwave or on the stove top.  Add 1 to 2 tbsp. dry mustard and mix well. Add in 2 tbsp. cider vinegar and stir.  It’s ready to serve.

At my restaurant I created this for a sweet and sour sauce:

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Place all ingredients in a sauce pot and whisk together.  Over medium low heat bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk until the mixture reaches 220 °.  It should start to thicken as it cools.

*If you don’t have Chinese Five spice in your pantry leave it out.  This is a spice that either you love it or you don’t.  It’s a very intense blend of spices.