Egg Roll Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Thinly shred the cabbage and squeeze out excess moisture with a clean towel or paper towels. Julienne or grate the carrot. Slice the green onions thinly and set all vegetables aside.

Cook aromatics and meat

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil from pantry (not included in ingredients list) or a light spray. Add the minced garlic and ginger and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until no longer pink, about 4–5 minutes.

Combine vegetables and season

Add shredded cabbage, carrot, and green onions to the cooked meat. Stir-fry together 3–4 minutes until cabbage softens but still has some bite. Add 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs oyster sauce (if using), 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed into 1–2 tbs water to help bind the filling. Cook 1–2 more minutes until mixture is well combined and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt/soy. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (20–30 minutes).

Make egg wash

In a small bowl beat the large egg with 1 tsp water to make an egg wash for sealing the wrappers.

Assemble egg rolls

Place one egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface with one corner pointing toward you (diamond shape). Spoon about 2–3 tablespoons (roughly 2 tbs) of the cooled filling near the corner closest to you, leaving a 1/2 inch border on the sides. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, tuck tightly, then fold the left and right corners in toward the center. Brush the top corner edge lightly with the egg wash and roll up tightly to seal. Place seam-side down on a tray. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. You should get about 10–12 egg rolls depending on filling amount.

Heat oil

Pour oil into a heavy deep skillet or pot to a depth of about 1–1.5 inches (or use a deep fryer) and heat over medium-high until the oil reaches about 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small piece of wrapper into oil: it should sizzle and brown in about 30–40 seconds.

Fry egg rolls in batches, seam-side down first, 3–4 minutes per side, turning carefully with tongs so they brown evenly and reach a golden crisp color. Avoid overcrowding the pan which will drop oil temperature. Adjust heat to maintain ~325–350°F. When done, transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to drain excess oil. Let rest 2 minutes — they will crisp further as they cool.

If desired, keep cooked egg rolls warm in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 200°F (95°C) oven while frying remaining batches.

Whisk together 3 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tsp honey (or sugar), 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or a small squeeze of chili garlic sauce. Taste and adjust for sweetness, acidity or heat. Serve alongside hot egg rolls.