Yen's Chả Giò
Ingredients
Directions
For Filling
2 lb
chicken or pork
2 md
onions, chopped
2 md
carrots, shredded (optional)
½ c
dried shredded wood ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and then roughly chopped (optional)
1 c
vermicelli bean thread, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and then roughly chopped
1 tbsp
salt (if using carrots and mushrooms, can increase to 4 tsp)
2 tbsp
granulated sugar (if using carrots and mushrooms, can increase to 2 1/2 tbsp)
½ tbsp
black pepper
1 tbsp
oyster sauce (optional)
1 tsp
sesame oil (optional)
1 tbsp
granulated garlic
For Wrapping
50
sheets of Chinese-style egg roll pastry/wrappers*
Alternately, you can use Vietnamese rice paper wrappers — see Andrea Nguyen's tips on how)
*Show Note
½ c
water
2 tbsp
cornstarch, tapioca starch, or flour
For Frying
2-3 c
canola or neutral oil
Yen’s Chả Giò
Chả giò is a great starter recipe for anyone wanting to dabble in cooking Vietnamese cuisine because it’s easy to customize. The Buis have reduced their consumption of pork and make their chả giò with ground chicken. The end result is a leaner egg roll just as flavorful as its pork-filled counterpart. Yen suggests the addition of wood ear mushrooms for maximum texture.
50 egg rolls
- In a large bowl, fold together all of the ingredients for the filling until well distributed. Mix the 1/2 cup water and 2 tbsp starch and heat until the mixture is hot but not boiling. (We use the microwave.)
- For quickest results, one person can peel the egg roll wrappers and another person can do the filling/rolling.
- For each egg roll, gently peel off an egg roll sheet from the stack. On a cutting board or plate, lay the sheet so that one of the corners is pointing toward you, like a diamond. Fold the bottom corner toward the top corner, leaving an inch or two of space between the top corner and bottom corner.
- Place 2 to 2 1/2 tbsp of filling on the wrapper, about 1/2 inch from the folded edge. Fold the two side corners over the filling. Then roll the filling toward the top corner, taking care to press out any air from the roll. When you are close to the end of the wrapper, brush some of the flour/water mixture onto the top corner of the wrapper to seal the roll. After a few, adjust the amount of filling per roll to your tastes.
- To fry the rolls, heat 2-3 cups neutral oil in a wok, Dutch oven, or large pot. The oil is hot enough when it bubbles around a wooden chopstick or wooden spoon inserted into it, or a thermometer reads 350°F. Fry the egg rolls in small batches until the wrappers are golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Set cooked egg rolls on paper towels to drain.
- For the full experience, serve with lettuce and nuoc cham for dipping.