Spring rolls and wontons

Back in August 2008 I bought some spring roll wrappers for a party and didn't use them.  I found them lurking, unloved and forgotten at the back of the freezer recently.  Just slightly beyond their Best Before date!  Have never made either spring rolls or wontons before, but was willing to give it a go.

So.  I hunted around for my mincing device, which I eventually found, equally unloved and forgotten in a seldom opened drawer.  Finally remembered how to assemble it! And minced up small quantities of pork (from the leg intended for Sunday's roast), chicken (from a whole bird I was quartering for the freezer - I used the meat from one thigh) and prawns.

Slightly over-steamed wontons

Then I mixed the pork with crushed ginger, the chicken with some diced dried apricots, and the prawns I left alone.  I wrapped them in some spring roll wrappers that I have briefly soaked in plain water and twisted the wontons so they looked like those drawstring purses children used to have.  Then I put them in my steamer.  The spring rolls I made using grated carrot, thinly chopped cabbage, bean sprouts and rice noodles. It took me a while to work out how to fold the spring rolls properly - the instructions were in Chinese!! There were also pictures but I still took a bit of time to figure it out. I deep fried the spring rolls

Spring rolls

I think the oil was not quite hot enough for deep frying.  I'll be more patient next time.  And I over steamed the wontons so the wrappers went a bit soggy. And it may be that I should have used a different sort of wrapper for steaming.  I'll have a look in the Chinese supermarket the next time I'm passing. And I think that next time I'll use the coarse blade in the grater to give the wontons extra texture.

But they were extremely delicious.  I'm definitely going to do them again.  We had them as an early entree before our roast pork, with plum sauce, sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce for dips.