Spring Rolls

Sorry for the obese picture- classic NYE buffet. These are pretty simple to make, they just require having a bit of free time. I always make them with spring roll wrappers bought from Chinese supermarkets but this year -shock horror- we had so many buffets that we ran out and I had to use filo pastry. The results were ok but not as crisp and crunchy as usual; they actually tasted shop-bought, which made me feel that they were naff in comparison but hey, we still ate them all. What beasts. Obviously these spring rolls had turkey in them but put in whatever you’ve got; if you have tons of money then for goodness sake shove some prawns in there. I’ve even made them vegetarian a few times and no one’s even noticed because they’re so moreish.

Ingredients:

1 packet of spring roll wrappers or filo pastry (if you’re using filo, cut the sheets to about 5” x 12”- for me that just meant cutting the sheets into four)

Slosh of sesame oil

A chunk of any cabbage- maybe an eighth? Whatever it is, you want about 1 ½ thinly sliced handfuls!

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin batons

6 spring onions, sliced thinly

Soy sauce

Five spice powder

A handful of meat, sliced into thin batons (pre-cook if it’s not cold cuts)

Hoisin sauce

A handful of beansprouts if you have them (I use canned so they don’t go slimy)

For dipping: sweet chilli sauce, something with chilli and vinegar, plum sauce.

Method:

1)      In a wok heat the oil and stir fry the cabbage, carrots and spring onions for a few minutes.

2)      Once they’re beginning to wilt, add a splash of soy sauce and a pinch of five spice before tipping in the sliced meat.

3)      Glug in around a tablespoon of hoisin sauce, followed by the handful of beansprouts.

4)      Cook for a few more minutes and then set aside to cool slightly. It should be cool completely but I can never wait.

5)      While the stir fry is cooling, prepare your assembly station. Get a big chopping board as your surface, a pastry brush and a bowl of water for sealing ends and lots of spoons- I always seem to need them..

If you’re using spring roll wrappers then they’ll be square, whereas the filo strips you cut will be rectangular; this doesn’t really matter as filo’s far thinner, so I just kept rolling up the filling in it like a cigar. With both types of pastry make sure you cover the unused sheets with a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out; filo in particular is a total bind.

6)      Carefully peel off a wrapper/piece of pastry and lay it on your board. If you’re using filo, I’m going to say right here just plonk on some filling, dab the edges of pastry with water and get rolling, tucking in your edges as you go. Make sure to place them seam side down once assembled.

7)      I always use teeny spring roll wrappers, probably 5”x5” and so place them like a diamond in front of me, placing a spoonful of stir fry mixture at the base, then running along a bit of water, folding the left and right corners in over the mix before finally rolling up and sealing the end.

8)      Once you’ve worked your way through the mix (well done) they can rest in the fridge for up to a day. To cook them I always just brush with oil and place on a baking tray, 200˚ for 15-20 minutes or until they’re golden and crispy.