Little Chinese Laundry Bundles Spring Rolls Recipes

AUTHENTIC CHINESE SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Mix marinade ingredients well. Add pork. Mix well and marinate at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
• Saute cabbage and carrots in 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in wok until crisp-tender. Alternately, steam vegetables in a bamboo steamer until crisp-tender (about 5 minutes). Spread out on a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan and put in refrigerator (or freezer, if you're in a hurry) until thoroughly cold. Saute meat in wok in 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until no longer pink. Continue to saute until all moisture/juices have evaporated. Meat should appear dry. Spread out on another cookie sheet or jellyroll pan and put in refrigerator (or freezer, if you're in a hurry) until thoroughly cold. Stir together cooled meat, binder mixture, cooled cabbage and carrots, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and green onions. Mix well. Make sure filling is cool to the touch.
• Combine sealer ingredients and mix until smooth. Place one wrapper on the counter with a point facing toward you, so the wrapper looks diamond-shaped, not square. Place a small amount of filling, about 1/4 cup, about 1/3 of the way up on on the wrapper. roll the wrapper tightly, tucking in the sides, to form a narrow finished roll about 1/2 to 2/3 inch in diameter. Seal the roll by brushing the triangle end flap with sealer for about the last 1-1/2 to 2 inches. Keep finished rolls under a damp towel or a couple of damp paper towels. Can be refrigerated or frozen at the point. For long term storage in freezer, put rolls in plastic bags.
• To make the dipping sauce, combine all ingredients and stir well. To make the alternate dipping sauce, combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring until smooth. Strain and cool.
• Heat 1 quart vegetable oil in wok to about 350 degrees. Add rolls one at a time. Do not crowd. Cook in batches of 8 to 10 until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Regulate heat as necessary to maintain temperature. Don't let temperature go over 375 degrees. Cut in half diagonally and serve warm with a Chinese mustard for dipping and one of the soy-sauce based dipping sauces listed above. Cutting the rolls in half diagonally facilitates absorption of the sauce into the filling when the roll is dipped. Also, it makes the rolls go farther and be easier for people to handle at a party, etc. Cooled rolls can be reheated at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, wrapped in foil.

CHINESE CRISPY SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Shred vegetables to the same size and shape as bean sprouts.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok and stir-fry vegetables for 1 minute.
• Add salt, sugar, light soy sauce, and rice wine.
• Stir-fry 2 minutes more; drain and cool.
• To make a spring roll, cut the wrapper in half diagonally.
• Place 1 tbsp of veggie mixture one-third of the way down the wrapper, then turn the wrapper so the small tip of the diagonal is pointing away from you.
• Fold the wide edge of the wrapper over the filling and roll over one time.
• Fold in the sides, and roll the wrapper away from you one time more.
• Brush the upper edge of the wrapper with cornstarch paste (to make cornstarch paste, simply mix 4 parts cornstarch to 5 parts cold water, and stir till dissolved).
• Finish rolling the spring roll, keeping it a bit tight.
• Sprinkle some flour on a baking sheet (to keep spring rolls from sticking), and rest the spring rolls there, flap side down, while you finish making the other rolls.
• To cook, heat the oil in a wok or fryer until hot, then reduce the heat to low.
• Fry the spring rolls in batches, making sure not to crowd, cooking until they are golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove rolls from oil and drain on paper toweling.
• Serve hot with soy sauce, or sweet and sour and hot mustard, if desired.

SHANGHAI PORK AND SHRIMP SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Combine sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, soy sauce, pork, and shrimp in a bowl and stir. Set aside.
• In a bowl, rehydrate shitake mushrooms in hot water just enough to cover until softened. Depending on mushrooms used this can take anywhere between 15-30 minutes to soften. Reserve the liquid for dissolving cornstarch. Cut off the stem and cut into very thin match stick pieces.
• In a small cup dissolve 1 1/2 T cornstarch with 3 T of reserved mushroom soaking liquid. This will be used to thicken the filling mixture.
• Heat 1 1/2 T oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add ginger and garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned and add pork and shrimp mixture. Stir constantly to separate the pork pieces and shrimp into nuggets and cook for about 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Transfer to a dish.
• Add the remaining 1 1/2 T oil to the skillet on medium high heat. Add shitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes stirring constantly. Return the pork and shrimp mixture to the skillet and stir to combine. Lower the heat and give the cornstarch mixture a stir and pour over the filling. Cook for about 30 seconds to bind the mixture. Transfer to a bowl to cool completely.
• In a small cup combine 1 T cornstarch with 1/2 C water to seal spring roll skin.
• Lay a spring roll skin on the work surface making sure one of the pointy corner is facing you. Put about 2 T of filling slightly below the center towards you and form into log shape using your fingers.
• Lift the bottom edge towards you up and over the filling tucking the point under it. Fold in the sides and brush the upper edges with cornstarch and water mixture. Roll away from you (bottom up) to seal. Set the finished rolls seam side down on the baking sheet covered with wax paper or aluminum foil and keep covered with a kitchen towel to prevent drying.
• Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet over medium high to about 350F degrees. Slide in a few spring rolls and fry, turning as needed for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and very crisp.
• Remove from the oil and drain. Continue with the remaining rolls. To serve, cut diagonally in half. Serve with a vinegar or dipping sauce of your choice.

BAKED SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Prepare the cabbage and carrots and set them aside.
• Fry the meat until just done with the ginger, salt and sesame oil.
• Lift from the pan and put in a large bowl.
• Drain off any excess fat (but don't wash the pan) and saute the shredded cabbage and carrots with a couple tablespoons of water, until just limp and the water is gone.
• Mix with the meat.
• Brush each spring roll wrapper with oil, turn over, and put a little- one twentieth to be precise- of the filling in a tube shape diagonally across one quadrant of the wrapper.
• Fold in the side corners, then roll up to make a neat tube.
• Repeat 19 more times.
• Lay the finished spring rolls on a lightly oiled cookie tray.
• Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
• Serve hot with plum sauce.

CHINESE LAUNDRY

Steps:

• Cook the mushrooms in butter in a non stick pan until tender.
• (if you don't want to do this use 1 can sliced mushrooms) Add the bean sprouts and cook for two minutes (if you don't want to do this used tinned) Mix all the ingredients in a large casserole dish.
• Cover and bake at 350F for at least 45 minutes.

LITTLE CHINESE LAUNDRY BUNDLES - SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Mince or finely chop your chicken breasts. (I use a food processor and pulse until it is finely minced; be careful you do NOT over process and puree the chicken!).
• If the broccoli florets in the broccoli slaw are very large, break them down into very small pieces.
• Prepare the fresh cucumber and onion garnish - combine the shredded green onions with the cucumber strips in a serving bowl with a little soy sauce.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the broccoli slaw, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and cilantro leaves. Mix them together and allow to infuse for about 10 minutes. In another small bowl, add a little soy sauce to the minced chicken breasts.
• Pre-heat the vegetable oil for deep-frying to 180 degrees C or 360 degrees F while preparing the spring rolls.
• Heat a wok over medium high to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced chicken and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the seasoned vegetable mix, and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes stirring vigorously all the time to toss the chicken and vegetables around in the wok.
• Lay a spring roll wrapper in front of you so that it forms a diamond shape. Use your index finger to wet all the edges with the beaten egg white. Place approximately 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle. Bring the two of the sides up into the middle then lift up the other two sides to form a bundle, making sure that the wrapper overlaps to make a tight seal. (If the wrappers are too small, use the traditional roll way - Place approximately 2 tablespoons of filling near the bottom. Roll over once, tuck in the sides, and then continue rolling. Seal the top.) At this stage, you can tie the blades of fresh chives around the bundles/rolls if you are using them.
• Deep-fry the bundles/rolls in 3 to 4 batches, cooking until they are golden brown and crispy (about 3 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Arrange them on a serving platter, sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve with the cucumber ad green onion garnish.