Vietnamese Egg Rolls

Filling

1½ pounds ground pork

½ cup onions, brunoised

¼ carrots, brunoised

¼ cup celery, brunoised

½ cup shitake mushrooms, brunoised

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

6 green onions, sliced thin (green and white parts)

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 egg

Egg rolls

1 package 6” square rice paper wrappers

Oil for frying

Make the filling. Mix together all of the ingredients for the filling. Cook a small patty of the filling. After tasting, adjust the seasoning if necessary, using soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt, and/or pepper.

Make the egg rolls. We will double roll each egg roll to help the filling not leak out during frying. Soak one of the rice paper wrappers in water until it has softened.

Place about 2 tablespoons of filling on the wrapper in the shape of a cylinder, parallel to one of the sides.

Fold the edges over along the short side of the filing.

Then roll it over until you have used the entire wrapper.

Soak another rice paper wrapper in water until it has softened. Place the egg roll diagonally on this wrapper.

Start rolling the wrapper around the egg roll.

Fold over the edges along the short side of the egg roll.

Finish rolling until you have used the entire wrapper.

Repeat with remaining filling.

At this point, you can fry the egg rolls. However, they will be easier to handle if you refrigerate them in an airtight container overnight. When you store them in the container, make sure that they don’t touch.

Fry the egg rolls. Heat oil that is about 1½” deep to 350^oF. Place egg rolls in the hot oil, allowing enough room so that they don’t touch. After about 3 minutes, carefully turn them over. Don’t touch the wrapper that hasn’t been fried yet, as it will be very sticky. Fry for about 3 minutes on the second side. Drain and serve immediately.

Yield: 30 - 36 egg rolls