Egg Rolls - 2

Fill a large saucepan with water. Add the ginger, garlic, sugar and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until they curl and turn pink, about 1 minute. Discard the garlic and ginger and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a sieve to drain; let cool slightly, then cut in 1/4-inch dice. Set aside.

Bring the water in the saucepan back to a boil over high heat. Halve, core and finely chop the cabbage. You should have 6 cups. Add the cabbage, onion and celery to the water and cook until the cabbage is bright green, about 1-1/2 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander and set aside to cool slightly. Press down to extract any excess water from the vegetables.

In a large bowl, combine the reserved shrimp and the barbecued pork; season with salt to taste. Add the vegetables and mix well. Divide the filling into 12 equal portions.

Place an egg roll wrapper on a work surface like a diamond, with a tip facing you. Keep the remaining wrappers covered. Place one portion of the filling in a horizontal line across the bottom third of the wrapper, then fold the tip closest to you over the filling toward the center. Lightly brush the side tips of the wrapper with some of the beaten egg, then fold them into the center. Brush the surface with egg and roll up the wrapper from the bottom. Brush the top tip with egg; fold toward you to seal the cylinder. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Heat a wok over high heat for 45 seconds. Add the peanut oil and heat to 350F. Add 4 egg rolls to the wok and fry, turning frequently with tongs or chopsticks, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander or large sieve set over a bowl to drain. Repeat with the remaining egg rolls, 4 at a time. Serve immediately with the mustard sauce.

Makes 12 egg rolls.

This is truly a creation of the Chinese-American restaurant. There is no such thing as an egg roll in China. There are spring rolls, delicate finger-size cylinders filled with bean sprouts, scallions, shrimp and pork, encased in a paper-thin skin. Egg rolls on the other hand are usually filled with a bewildering variety of ingredients, mostly chopped cabbage. It is, however, possible to create a fine egg roll such as the one here.

Recipe from Food and Wine, November, 1991.