Every culture on earth has a type of food that involves some kind of flat and pliable dough or wrapper filled with the best local ingredients. Dumplings, manapua, perogis, gyoza, ravioli, pot stickers, egg rolls, spring rolls, summer rolls, grape leaves, samosas, tortilini, kreplach, wontons, the list is endless. Seriously, it’s endless.
Just like cake is the vehicle to bring frosting into your mouth, stuffed ______ (choose one, see link above) can be your vehicle. Sweet or savory, covered in sauce, steamed, fried, or dry and hard enough to pack for a trip, stuffed/wrapped food is as old as time.
That brings us to these cylinders of bliss, a complete departure from the tiresome egg rolls of Every-town’s Chinese restaurant. Better yet, these spring rolls are the ideal blend of the multitude of Asian rolls that I have been lucky enough to encounter over the years.
In the early 80s, a family from Vietnam joined our church and our families quickly became friends. The matriarch, a beautiful young woman named La, made the most amazing spring rolls – full of pork and vegetables and spices I could never quite put my finger on – her rolls were genius. I remember how thrilled and grateful I was when she generously showed up to my high school graduation party with what seemed like a couple hundred of her treasured spring rolls. Then some guy named Larry (who invited him?!) filled his entire plate with stacks of La’s precious rolls. I remember simply fuming as he went back for seconds. And thirds. Fucking Larry…. I’m still mad at that guy.
Fast-forward to New York City in the early 1990s – on 2nd Avenue in the East Village was an enchanting Thai restaurant where I first discovered Pad See Ew, silky, fat rice noodles in an inexplicably heavenly brown sauce. It’s still my favorite Thai dish. But wait, that’s right, we’re here for the spring rolls…
Glorious Pad See Ew aside, the truth of my patronage wasn’t so much their spring rolls, yummy as they were. Served on the side was their scrumptious peanut dipping sauce that was beyond delicious – it was ambrosial – truly, worthy of the gods. If I’d had my way, I’d order a giant bowl of that exquisite sauce, curl up in the corner with a spoon, happy as…well, happy as Larry on his third plate.
And lastly, I have a friend who makes really great spring rolls. Many years ago, when I asked, Russ was happy to share his recipe with me (some don’t, you know) and he enlightened me with his secret ingredient: Peanut butter. Subtle, but oh-so-important. I heard that he got his recipe many years ago from a bar girl in Taipei. But that’s his story to tell, not mine. So…a big THANK YOU to Russ for the peanut butter. And George Washington Carver, of course.
Here it is, the spring roll and peanut sauce recipes. It’s a bit heavy on the prep, but it’s worth it, I promise. This, along with some grilled chicken wings and cold sesame noodles – it’s the perfect menu for your next dinner party.
Just make sure nobody invites Larry.
Spring Rolls
- 1 package spring roll wrappers (25 count)
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable/canola oil
- 5 shrimp, deveined, tails removed
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 4 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped
- 1/3 cup peanut butter (I like creamy for this but chunky is good too)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon either crushed red pepper or chili paste with garlic (that chunky Sriracha stuff). Omit this if you don’t want it spicy, just add some black pepper instead
- Oil for frying – canola, peanut, vegetable, etc.
In a large pan, cook the ginger and garlic in the oils on medium heat until they soften up and become fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook until they are no longer pink, just a few minutes on each side. Remove the shrimp and chop finely. Brown the pork, then add the chopped shrimp. Drain any excess grease.
Put the shrimp and pork in a large bowl and add the peanut butter (microwave for 10-20 seconds if you’d like to make it easier to pour), then add the vegetables, soy sauce and pepper. Toss everything together really well.
To make the rolls:
Have a small cup of water next to your rolling station.
Place a large tablespoon (or two, depending on how fat you want your rolls) on a wrapper as pictured above (#1). Fold the bottom corner up over the filling (#2), then fold in the sides (#3). You’re going to roll up from the bottom, tucking in any errant flaps of wrapper and keeping it tight as you roll up. Dip your fingers in that cup of water, and wet the top corner edges (#4). Keep rolling up and press the wet corner down onto the roll to seal. Lay them out on a cookie sheet and don’t let them touch each other or they’ll stick. They’re so clingy. Keep your rolls from drying out by keeping a damp towel on top of the finished rolls as you go.
About halfway through your rolling, get your oil on the stove to heat up. You want about two inches of oil, brought to about a medium-high heat. Gently drop the rolls in the oil and be careful not to crowd the pan. Let them cook until evenly browned, turning as you can. They can be stubborn and refuse to float on the other side, but who’s in charge here?! That’s right. You are.
When they’re golden all over, drain on paper towels and serve as soon as possible with the peanut sauce. If you want to make them ahead of time, you can, just reheat them on a cookie sheet at about 375° for about 15 minutes to crisp them up.
Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (I like chunky for this but smooth is good too)
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced (for the love of your eyeballs – wear gloves for this part!)
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint
Mix all ingredient except for the mint. Refrigerate for at least four hours and add the mint just before serving.
P.S. I know… this song has been in your head since you started reading this, amirite? 😉
spicewrecked 