I intended to use ground chicken for the spring rolls but all I could find at the store was ground turkey so, here we go. I suppose this could be an opening act for a Thanksgiving dinner or maybe an appetizer served during a football game. It’s also a good way to use leftover turkey after Thanksgiving.
Make sure to use spring roll wrappers, not egg roll wrappers. Spring roll wrappers are more dense and they are thinner than egg roll wrappers.
Ingredients:
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 green onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cornstarch
1 lb ground turkey
2 Tbs cooking oil divided
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1-2 stalks green onion, chopped
1/2 head of cabbage, about 8 ounces, shredded
2 carrots julienne cut
2 Tbs oyster sauce
50 frozen spring roll wrappers, defrosted
2 cups cooking oil
Cornstarch Slurry:
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Dipping sauce:
1/2 tsp sesame oil
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp Garlic Chili Paste
Instructions:
Prepare the Filling:
In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, green onion, garlic, vinegar, pepper and cornstarch. Add the ground turkey and mix well. Marinate for at least 10 minutes.
Chop, mince and grate the various stir-fry vegetables.
Heat a wok over high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the turkey and stir-fry until browned. Remove the browned turkey and set aside in a bowl.
Turn the heat down to medium. Add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the green onion, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the carrots and cabbage. Stir well and turn the heat up to medium-high. Stir fry the vegetables for 2 minutes, or until the carrots have softened.
Return the cooked turkey back to the wok and stir. Add the oyster sauce and toss to coat. Turn the mixture out to a strainer and let liquids drain. Wet ingredients don’t make good spring rolls!
Wrapping Spring Rolls:
Make a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and water. Open the spring roll wrapper package, peel the wrappers apart from each other and cover them with a moistened paper towel.
Lay a wrapper on a clean surface. Position the wrapper with a corner facing toward you . Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to the bottom point of the wrapper. Fold the left and right sides in toward the middle (the wrapper should look like an envelope). Starting from the bottom of the wrapper, roll upward and apply pressure with your fingers to prevent air pockets. Dip a finger in the cornstarch slurry and paint the top corner of the wrapper. Finish wrapping and secure the wrap by gently pressing along the seam. Stage finished spring rolls on parchment paper, or wax paper and keep them covered with a damp paper towel.
Frying Spring Rolls
Add about 2 cups of oil to a wok and turn the heat to high. The depth of the oil should be about 2 inches. Once the oil is hot, carefully slide spring rolls into the oil, one at a time. I fried about 8 spring rolls at a time, to avoid overcrowding.
Turn the egg rolls over while the fry. When they are golden brown and crispy, remove to a paper towel lined plate and keep warm.
Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
Arrange the spring rolls on a serving platter and place the dipping sauce in the middle of the platter.
