Spring Rolls

Chinese spring rolls (chun juan) — thin, wheat-flour wrappers filled with a seasoned mixture of pork, cabbage, and glass noodles, deep-fried until the wrapper is paper-thin, shatteringly crisp, and pale golden. The wrapper should be almost translucent, delicate enough to shatter at a bite. The filling should be dry, not wet — a moist filling steams the wrapper from within, preventing the crisp that is the dish.

Fujian province, China. The spring roll (chun juan) is associated with the Lunar New Year — eaten at the spring festival because the gold colour and cylindrical shape resemble gold ingots. Spring roll traditions vary regionally; Shanghainese spring rolls are thinner and more delicate; Cantonese spring rolls have a different filling.

Tsingtao lager — spring rolls are a shared starter and the lager accompanies naturally. Or a cold Jinro Korean soju if the context is pan-Asian.

Spring roll wrappers: wheat-flour spring roll skins (not Vietnamese rice paper, not egg roll wrappers). Available frozen in Asian grocers — use immediately after thawing, covered with a damp cloth Filling: pork shoulder minced, nappa cabbage (salted, pressed, dried), glass noodles soaked and cut, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms — all cooked together in a wok, seasoned with soy, sesame, and white pepper, then cooled completely Filling must be dry: squeeze excess liquid out before filling. Wet filling produces wet spring rolls Rolling technique: place 2 tablespoons of filling near one corner of the wrapper, fold the corner over, roll once, fold in the sides, continue rolling — seal the final flap with a thin paste of flour and water Fry at 180C in deep oil: the spring rolls should be submerged. Cook 3-4 minutes until pale golden — the full colour develops from the retained heat after removal Drain on a wire rack immediately