Chinese Eggrolls
Saute very briefly in sesame oil, over high heat:
1/2 c carrots, sliced into slivers
1/2 c daikon radish, sliced into slivers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t fresh ginger, minced
 
Add, and cook just enough to soften (about 1 minute):
1 c green cabbage, chopped coarsely
2 T sake (rice wine)
1 T rice vinegar
 
Transfer to a bowl and add:
1/4 c water chestnuts, chopped coarsely
1/4 c black mushrooms, sliced
2 T hoisin sauce (chinese plum sauce)
1/4 t white pepper
1/4 c cilantro, coarsely chopped
 
Roll into (large) eggroll wrappers, sealing the edge by moistening it with a mixture of:
2 T water
1 T cornstarch
Fry in 1/2" to 1" of oil heated to 350º, turning to maintain an even, golden brown color all around.  Drain excess oil on paper towels.  Serve with Duck Sauce (Eggroll Dipping Sauce).
Notes & Variations:
  1. Saute very thin strips of lean pork, drain any excess liquid, and add to the filling.
  2. In fact, you can add any cooked meat.  Try shredded chicken or diced prawns.
  3. For black mushrooms, you can saute fresh shitake mushrooms, or else reconstitute dried black mushrooms by soaking in hot water for a few minutes, and slice them.  In either case, remove the stems, as they tend to be tough.  You can boil the stems, along with shrimp shells, to make a shrimp stock that freezes nicely.
  4. To roll the eggrolls, place some filling near the front edge, fold the sides in so there is about an inch of overlap on either side.  Carefully roll it up, keeping the sides tucked.
  5. Fry the eggrolls a few at a time, so that the oil stays hot.  Use peanut and/or grapeseed oil for deep-frying.
  6. You can keep rolled eggrolls in the refrigerator overnight by placing them on a plate and covering them with a moistened dish towel.
  7. Jane, from Palo Alto, steamed the eggrolls and found them quite satisfactory (and not greasy).

"Duck Sauce" Eggroll Dipping Sauce
Prepare a duck sauceby stirring together:
1/2 t garlic, finely minced
1/4 t fresh ginger, finely minced
1/4 c apricot preserves
1/4 c orange marmalade
2 - 4 T rice vinegar (and/or sake)
using enough liquid to make a smooth, but not runny, consistency.
 
Serve with:
chinese hot mustard
and let everyone make their own dipping sauce by blending the two together.
Notes & Variations:
  1. Daniel says: "When I was growing up in New York, every Chinese restaurant served duck sauce and hot mustard.  I have no idea where duck sauce came from originally, but I've always missed it since moving to California.  The above recipe is my attempt to reconstruct the flavor of the sauce.  I'd always mix in as much hot mustard as I could stand and use it as a dip for the fried egg noodles that came with soups."
  2. Chinese mustard is best when made up fresh from powder.  Colman's English Mustard powder works for this.  Mix up with water to form a paste 15 minutes before serving to release the flavors.  If it is going to sit around for more than an hour, refrigerate it or add a dash of rice vinegar or sake to keep it from losing its potency.