Spring rolls with cabbage, kale and water chestnuts

I don't know why I decided to include spring rolls in the party mix. maybe it was because I had a pack of the thin, floury wrappers in the freezer and felt the need to spontaneously create. Whatever my intentions were, I knew that cooking them before a few days before the actual event would be difficult. Should I make them and freeze them without frying or deep fry then freeze, compromising some crispness maybe? Decisions..I finally reckoned that deep frying then freezing, then a quick blast in the oven would be the best option.

They turned out OK. Not fantastic, because as I predicted, some crispness was lost and while they were by no means soggy or limp, they weren't quite as crackling as they were straight from the deep fry. So, my advice (through experience), is to make them, freeze them then deep fry just before serving.

The filling, however, presented no such dilemma. Strips of crunchy carrot, onion and water chestnut nestled amongst some finely shredded cabbage and kale, all dressed with a sesame, soy and Chinese wine sauce which was a little tangy, sweet and spicy. 

Recipe : Spring rolls

About 15 - 20 spring roll wrappers

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 onion, peeled and very finely sliced

1 celery stalk, very finely sliced

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely diced

1 carrot, peeled and finely sliced length ways

a handful of cabbage, very finely shredded

a handful of kale, very finely shredded

1 tin of water chestnuts, cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp Chinese wine vinegar

1/2 tsp brown or raw cane sugar

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp sweet chili sauce

Heat the peanut oil in a frying pan or wok over high heat until very hot. Add the onion, celery, ginger, garlic and carrot. Stir fry until they are soft. Add the cabbage, kale and water chestnuts and continue to fry until the kale has wilted slightly and the cabbage softened. 

Add all other ingredients, stir well and cook for a few moments.

Remove from the heat and drain the mixture of kitchen towels.

Lay a piece of spring roll wrapper on a clean surface and place a tsp of filling at one end. 

Moisten the edges by dipping your finger in a little water and rubbing lightly over the wrapper and pull in the edges and then roll the wrapper into a cigar shape with the filling neatly tucked inside. Don't roll too loosely or too tight as they may fall apart or explode whilst cooking. 

Repeat with the other wrappers. Freeze now if you want to. (Ensure they are fully defrosted before frying).

When you are ready to cook the spring rolls, heat about 1 cup of peanut oil in a large pan over medium heat until it bubbles quite rapidly when a wooden chopstick is placed into it.

Deep fry the rolls, a few at a time until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and lay a tea towel over them as you fry the others. Serve with a dipping sauce of something sweet, spicy and tart.