Shanghai-Style Spring Rolls

• servings: 24 spring rolls
• active time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

Marinated Pork:

⅔ cup finely shredded lean pork (freeze for a few hours before for easier chopping)

1 tsp shaoxing wine

½ tsp cornstarch

½ tsp toasted sesame oil

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp white pepper powder

Other Ingredients:

1 package spring roll wrappers (at least 24 sheets)

1 small nappa cabbage, finely shredded (roughly 9 cups)

8 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in warm water for a few hours until soft, then thinly sliced)

4 tbsp neutral oil

2 tbsp shaoxing wine

1½ tbsp cornstarch (mixed with 1 tbsp of water for a slurry)

½ tsp soy sauce

Salt & white pepper powder to taste

Directions

Mix the thinly sliced pork with the marinade ingredients and let it sit for 20-30 minutes at room temperature.

Over medium heat, add 4 tbsp of neutral oil. Brown the marinated pork, then add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the shredded cabbage and stir well. Season with salt, white pepper, shaoxing wine, and soy sauce, then stir everything together. Cover with a lid and cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the cabbage has wilted.

Uncover and add the cornstarch slurry. Stir and allow the mixture to thicken. There shouldn’t be much loose liquid left, so add more cornstarch slurry as needed. Keep in mind that it will thicken more as it cools, but err on the side of caution, since this will be a filling. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool completely.

Begin the filling and shaping process. It’s most efficient to look up a quick video, but here is a rough written description of the process. Place a wrapper in front of you at an angle, so that a corner is facing towards you. Using about 1½ tbsp of mixture per spring roll, spoon it about 1½ inches away from the corner closest to you (in the center). Roll it over once like you’re making a burrito, then fold over both sides. Keep rolling it into a cigar shape. Brush a bit of water on the closing corner of the wrap and roll to seal it. Place each roll on a tray seam-side down.

This recipe makes about 24 spring rolls. If you aren’t going to eat all of them now, it’s best to store the leftovers at this stage in the freezer, then deep fry or air fry them later.

Lastly, we just fry the spring rolls. Do whatever frying setup is best for your kitchen (be safe), get some oil to the 350-370 F range. You could even shallow fry in a pan if you prefer. Add the spring rolls in one at a time, and in small batches. Cook until each side is golden brown, then drain on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Serve with Chinese black vinegar for dipping, and enjoy!

Notes

A commonly served dish during Chinese New Year celebrations. These are a little different than the spring rolls you may be familiar with as a Westerner. They are an umami bomb filled with some meat, mushrooms, and cabbage. The filling is actually mixed together with a cornstarch slurry to hold its shape and moisture better without compromising the roll’s integrity. A great, lighter variation of a familiar Chinese dish. Serve as a side alongside some Chinese black vinegar or sauce of choice for dipping. This recipe makes 24 spring rolls. Leftovers can be frozen and fried later.