I know I often complain about share my annoyance with good food gone bad…

…like when restaurants mess up fried rice, breakfast burritos, pork chops or overcook fish (Wait — I haven’t complained about the fish yet? — give it time).

Well, for me, egg rolls should be added to this (ever-growing) list.  Too often, I feel, restaurants mess up egg rolls by (1) not caring about the flavors or quality of ingredients going into them and then (2) thinking the deep fryer will fix all their problems.  And, yes, I have — apparently — put a lot of thought into this.

Think about it: Have you ever had a good egg roll?  If so, what made it good?

For me, a good egg roll is full of fresh vegetables, well-cooked, seasoned meat and has a light, slightly chewy — yet crunchy — fried wrapper.

And, you know what?  It’s really not hard at all to make egg rolls.  In fact, once you know how to make egg rolls, you can try all sorts of different fillings to see what you like best.

Let me show you.

How to Make Egg Rolls

On a clean, flat surface, place 1 egg roll wrapper with 1 corner facing you (FYI: If you prefer chewier egg rolls, like I do, use two egg roll wrappers instead of one — using just one will make the egg roll more crispy).  Place approximately 1-2 tablespoons of the filling (see recipe below) about 2 inches from the bottom corner of the wrapper.

Fold the bottom corner over the filling.

Firmly roll the filled wrapper half-way up the rest of the wrapper.

Dab the exposed edges of the wrapper with a beaten egg.

Fold the two sides over the filled roll.

Roll the rest of the way up, pressing the top corner firmly onto the egg roll to seal it.

Repeat for the rest of the wrappers.  Once ready to cook, heat about 3/4-inch to 1-inch of vegetable or canola oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.  Once oil is hot (you will know it’s ready when a very tiny amount of water dropped into the oil dances and sizzles), carefully place enough egg rolls to cover the bottom of the pan.  Try not to crowd them.  Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.  Once golden brown on both sides, remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towel.

Pork and Vegetable Egg Roll Filling

1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 lb. ground pork
2 cups shredded green cabbage
3 green onions, sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 cremini mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup (8 oz) water chestnuts, chopped
1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
2 carrots (about 1/2 cup), shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
2 tbsp. (low sodium) soy sauce, plus more to taste
kosher salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
package egg roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten (for moistening/sealing wrappers)

Directions

In a large skillet or wok, heat sesame oil. Add and cook pork over medium-high heat until well-browned. Remove from pan and reserve drippings. Set cooked pork aside.

Add cabbage, green onion and onion to the skillet and cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add water chestnuts, mushrooms, bean sprouts, carrots, garlic, soy sauce and sugar and stir to incorporate. Cook 2 minutes. Add the cooked pork and stir again to incorporate well. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

On a clean, flat surface, place 1 egg roll wrapper with 1 corner facing you (FYI: If you prefer chewier egg rolls, like I do, use two egg roll wrappers instead of one — using just one will make the egg roll more crispy).  Place approximately 1-2 tablespoons of the filling (see recipe below) about 2 inches from the bottom corner of the wrapper.  Fold the bottom corner over the filling.

Firmly roll the filled wrapper half-way up the rest of the wrapper.  Dab the exposed edges of the wrapper with a beaten egg.  Fold the two sides over the filled roll and roll the rest of the way up, pressing the top corner firmly onto the egg roll to seal it.

Repeat for the rest of the wrappers.  Once ready to cook, heat about 3/4-inch to 1-inch of vegetable or canola oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.  Once oil is hot (you will know it’s ready when a very tiny amount of water dropped into the oil dances and sizzles), carefully place enough egg rolls to cover the bottom of the pan.  Try not to crowd them.  Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.  Once golden brown on both sides, remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towel.

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