PANCAKE ROLLS

Chinese pancake rolls are very popular in Chinese fish and chip shops, takeaways and restaurants. Eaten alone or dipped in your favourite sauce, these large cylindrical parcels are packed full of beansprouts and ooze as you bite into them.

300g (6 cups) beansprouts

6 baby corn, quartered lengthways

30g (¼ cup) bamboo shoots, roughly chopped

1 cup shredded char siu pork (see Char Siu Puffs)

8 x 22cm (8½in) spring roll wrappers, defrosted

From the store cupboard

oil for frying

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp salt

½ tsp white pepper

2 tsp sugar

Tip

If you’re making ahead, the unfried rolls can be frozen for up to a month in a sealed container. Uneaten fried rolls can also be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days and enjoyed as a cold snack. The cooked rolls may lose some of their crispness in the fridge but can be refreshed with a second flash in the wok or baked in the oven on a wire rack; however, please make sure the contents are fully reheated before eating if using either method.

Place a wok over a high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil along with your beansprouts and stir-fry for 1 minute before adding the baby corn and bamboo shoots. Stir-fry for a further 1 minute and then add the shredded pork, soy sauce, salt, pepper and sugar. Continue to stir-fry for a few more minutes until everything is well combined and cooked all the way through. Place a colander over a large bowl and tip the mixture in to cool and drain.

Once the mixture has fully cooled, place a spring roll wrapper on a board with one corner pointing towards you and brush the edges with water. Spoon 2–3 generous tablespoons of mixture into the centre of the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, fold the side corners in to enclose the filling and create a large fat sausage shape, and then roll towards the final corner. Use a little more water to help seal the wrapper. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Pour enough oil into a deep-sided wok so that once the pancake rolls are added they can float. Heat the oil to 170°C (340°F) and cook the spring rolls two at a time for 7–9 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the rolls from the oil and place on a wire rack or a plate lined with kitchen paper. Once all of the pancake rolls are cooked, serve hot.