Crispy Chicken Egg Rolls

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Shredded chicken thigh, cabbage and carrot get stir-fried hard, drained, and chilled completely before rolling — the trick that keeps thick egg-roll wrappers from steaming themselves soggy from the inside. Fried at a steady 350°F they come out blistered and shatter-crisp, and they freeze raw beautifully, so you can fry two on a Tuesday and still have ten in the bag.

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups green cabbage, cored and thinly shredded (about 1 lb)
• 1 large carrot, coarsely grated
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts (optional)
• 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper

• 12 egg roll wrappers (the thick 7-inch kind, not spring roll skins)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 6 cups peanut or canola oil, for frying

• 1/3 cup duck sauce or apricot preserves
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chili garlic sauce, or to taste
• 1 tsp hot Chinese mustard (optional)

Instructions

1. Freeze the chicken thighs for 15 minutes to firm them up, then slice into 1/4-inch strips and chop the strips into small pieces roughly the size of a pea. In a bowl, toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and the Shaoxing wine. Let it sit while you prep the vegetables.
2. Set a large wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil, then the chicken in a single layer. Let it sear undisturbed for 90 seconds, then stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes more until cooked through and lightly browned. Scrape onto a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Return the pan to high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger and garlic and stir for 20 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the cabbage and carrot and stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes — you want the cabbage wilted and starting to brown at the edges, not stewed. Keep the heat high so the water that releases evaporates instead of pooling.
4. Add the scallions, bean sprouts if using, oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt and white pepper. Stir-fry 1 minute more, then return the chicken and toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt.
5. Tip the filling into a colander set over a bowl and press gently with a spatula to drain off liquid — expect 1/4 cup or more. Spread the drained filling in a thin layer on the baking sheet and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, until fully cold. Do not skip this: warm filling steams the wrapper and gives you a limp, blistered-in-the-wrong-way egg roll. The filling can be made a full day ahead.
6. Whisk the 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to make a sealing slurry. Set a wrapper on the counter in a diamond orientation, keeping the rest under a damp towel. Spoon about 1/3 cup of cold filling in a 4-inch log across the lower third.
7. Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling and tuck it in tightly, compressing the log with your fingertips. Fold in the left and right corners like an envelope, then roll upward, snug but not straining. Brush the top corner with cornstarch slurry and press to seal. Set seam-side down and repeat with the remaining wrappers. Any air pocket is a future blowout, so roll tight.
8. To freeze: arrange rolls on a parchment-lined sheet without touching and freeze solid, about 2 hours, then transfer to a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Fry straight from frozen — no thawing — adding 2 to 3 minutes to the cook time.
9. Pour oil into a Dutch oven to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high to 350°F on a clip-on thermometer. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet nearby.
10. Fry 3 or 4 rolls at a time, turning every minute or so, until deep golden and blistered all over, 5 to 6 minutes (7 to 8 from frozen). Keep the oil between 340°F and 355°F, adjusting the burner between batches. Drain on the rack, not on paper towels, so the bottoms stay crisp.
11. Whisk the duck sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and mustard together in a small bowl. Let the egg rolls rest 3 minutes — the filling is molten — then cut on a sharp diagonal and serve hot with the sauce.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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