I thought egg rolls would be difficult to make. The filling ingredients seemed complicated, and I didn’t think I’d ever be able to roll them properly. Plus I don’t own a deep fat fryer. These were just some of the reasons I was sure I had made a mistake when I showed up for a class about egg rolls at Buford Highway Farmers Market. I’d signed up for a series of evening workshops with The Chinese Southern Belles to learn cooking techniques. I figured if they could teach me to roll an eggroll, they could teach anyone.
Well, they can. Here are the basic steps:
Wrappers: While I suppose it is possible to make your own wrappers it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Buy them pre-made.
Filling: This is a great way to use leftover vegetables and cooked meat. Traditional vegetables include mung bean sprouts and bok choy, but Natalie suggests whatever seasonal vegetables are available, including cabbage or blanched collards and kale. Her mother Margaret’s favorite combination is onion, preserved radish, bean sprouts, black mushrooms (purchased dried, then soaked) with eggs that have been scrambled, fried into a pancake, then chopped. The key is to finely chop the ingredients and mix well, then don’t overstuff the rolls. When you start stuffing, make sure to have one well beaten egg to use to seal the edges of the roll.
Cooking: Go to the slide show for how to fold an eggroll, but Natalie Keng showed two ways to cook the rolls. Traditionally they are deep fried. Use a high temperature oil like peanut, canola or safflower, but not olive. For a healthier alternative, we cooked rolls on a lightly oiled griddle until crispy.
The Chinese Southern Belles are the mother and daughter team that make cooking Chinese food fun. Get more information about their classes at their website or to sign up through the Buford Highway Farmers Market.
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