Crispy Prawn Rolls with Pineapple-Plum Dip

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Sweet shrimp, chopped just enough to stay juicy and studded with water chestnut, rolled tight in thin spring roll skins and fried until they shatter. The dip is the shortcut hero: jarred pineapple preserves and bottled plum sauce loosened with rice vinegar and chili, warmed for two minutes into something that tastes like it simmered all afternoon. A teahouse appetizer you can put on the table in under an hour.

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp (21/25), peeled and deveined
• 1/3 cup canned water chestnuts, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 2 tsp cornstarch

• 12 thin wheat spring roll wrappers (8-inch), thawed
• 1 tbsp cornstarch (for sealing paste)
• 1 tbsp cold water (for sealing paste)
• 4 cups neutral oil, such as peanut or canola, for frying

• 1/3 cup pineapple preserves or jam
• 1/4 cup jarred plum sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice

Instructions

1. Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels. Set aside 12 of the prettiest shrimp whole; chop the rest into rough 1/4-inch pieces. Dryness matters more than anything here — wet filling steams the wrapper from the inside and softens the crust.
2. In a bowl, combine the chopped shrimp, water chestnuts, scallions, grated ginger, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt, sugar, white pepper, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Stir vigorously in one direction for 30 seconds until the mixture feels slightly sticky and holds together. Butterfly the 12 reserved whole shrimp down the back, open them flat, and toss them with a pinch of salt.
3. Make the dip: whisk the pineapple preserves, plum sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, ginger, and water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low for 2 minutes, stirring, until it loosens and glosses. Off the heat, stir in the lime juice. Pour into a serving bowl; it thickens as it cools. Break up any large fruit pieces with the back of a spoon if you want a smooth dip.
4. Stir the 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water into a smooth sealing paste. Peel off one wrapper and set it on a work surface as a diamond, keeping the rest under a damp towel so they don't dry out.
5. Lay one butterflied shrimp across the lower third of the wrapper and mound 1 heaping tablespoon of the chopped filling on top, shaping it into a 3-inch log. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, fold in both sides tightly, then roll up firmly like a cigar. Brush the final corner with cornstarch paste and press to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers, keeping finished rolls seam-side down and not touching. You should have 12 rolls about 4 inches long.
6. Pour 1 1/2 inches of oil into a heavy 4-quart pot or wok and heat to 350°F on a clip-on thermometer, about 8 minutes over medium-high. Line a sheet pan with a rack or paper towels.
7. Fry 4 rolls at a time, seam-side down first, for 3 to 4 minutes total, turning once or twice, until deep golden and audibly crisp. Keep the oil between 340°F and 355°F, adjusting the burner between batches, and let it recover for a minute before adding the next round.
8. Drain the rolls on the rack for 2 minutes, then cut each on a sharp diagonal to show the shrimp inside. Serve immediately with the pineapple-plum dip, while the wrappers still crackle.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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