Crispy Vietnamese Egg Rolls Recipe – Chả Giò

Method

• 1)

  You can use bottled Chấm brand dipping sauce (order here) or make your own dipping sauce by placing ⅓ Cup of Fish Sauce, ⅓ Cup Sugar, 1 Cup of Water, ⅓ Cup of Rice Vinegar, the finely minced Garlic and finely minced Thai Chilis into a bowl and stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside until ready to serve.

• 2)

  Use paper towels and squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the shredded carrots, shallots and wood ear mushrooms – this will prevent the egg rolls from getting soggy. In a large bowl, add 1 Pound Ground Pork or Chicken ¼ Pound minced Shrimp, ⅔ Cup Finely Shredded Carrots, ¼ minced Wood Ear Mushrooms and ½ Cup Diced Shallots, chopped Bean Thread Noodles, 1¼ Teaspoon Coarse Kosher Salt, 1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar, ½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ Teaspoon Chicken Bouillon Powder and mix very well with your hands, ensuring the seasoning is evenly distributed.

• 3)

  If you have a quarter sized baking sheet (9.5 x 12.5 inches) you can spread out the filling and use a spatula to divide it into 24 even sections – see the pic above. Peel the egg roll wrapper from the stack, leave a damp paper towel on top of the stack of egg roll wrappers so they don’t dry out. Place about 2 Tablespoons of filling onto the wrapper, shape it into a small log and seal well (see the pic above for the wrapping steps). Lay them on a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper.

• 4)

  Use a large heavy bottom pot and fill it with 2-3 inches of frying oil, use a deep fry thermometer to monitor the temp – heat to 350°F. Fry about 8 Egg Rolls at a time for about 5-6 Minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Place them onto a wire rack to drain. Wait until the oil returns to 350°F before frying the next batch.

• 5)

  Serve with a large plate of green leaf lettuce and herbs of your choice. Wrap the egg rolls with the lettuce and herbs and dip in nước chấm. Enjoy!