MAKES 25 TO 30 SPRINGROLLS
Although I can’t state with scholarly assurance that lime and curry are authentic in springrolls, who cares? These are deliciously true to China’s spirit, if not to her tradition.
MARINADE AND PORK:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
1½ teaspoons China Moon Curry Powder (page 7)
2 tablespoons strong tamarind liquid (page 336)
1 pound coarsely ground pork butt
AROMATICS:
1½ tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 to 3 teaspoons China Moon Curry Powder
3 small green serrano chilis, finely minced
1 to 2 small red Fresno chilis, finely minced
Finely minced or grated zest of 1 scrubbed large lime
SEASONINGS:
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
1½ teaspoons sugar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 to 5 cups corn or peanut oil, for stir-frying and deep-frying
2 cups diced celery
1½ cups finely shredded carrots
4 cups diced Napa cabbage
2 ounces (1 small skein) glass noodles, soaked in hot water until translucent and cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold chicken stock or water
About 30 very thin 7- to 8-inch-square springroll wrappers
¾ cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves and stems
1 egg yolk, beaten
Peanut-Lime Dipping Sauce (page 28)
Coriander sprigs and/or scallion brushes, for garnish
One phenomenon of the 80s that is alive and well in the 90s is what I call the Gang Chef Event. In the interest of some worthy cause, and the less worthy stroking of some assorted overblown egos, a gang of chefs is herded into a showplace to put on a circus of food.
These events take many turns. Some are as huge and distressing as one immense party in Washington, D.C., where about a thousand overfed people were fed again from the encrusted underground kitchens of a huge hotel. (Superstar chef Jeremiah Tower and I bonded mightily at that one. Each of us bought our own cutting boards and chipped in on a gallon of bleach just to clean out the hotel refrigerator!) Others of these events can be charming and simple, as in the immaculate kitchens of Charlie Trotter’s restaurant in Chicago, where a group of chefs conspire annually to make merry in the memory of James Beard.
Large or small, Gang Chef Events always bring out the springroll in me. This is one food that we make at China Moon that freezes, schlepps, and serves beautifully. With Styrofoam boxes and a few hunks of dry ice, you too can be winging across the country on the wings of a springroll.
Keep that in mind when you cater for a hundred in Bombay. Or when you schlepp across town to pleasure a happy gang of friends.
1. To make the filling: Blend all of the marinade ingredients through the tamarind liquid in a large bowl. Add the pork and stir well in one direction with your fingers to coat it thoroughly. Seal airtight with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly on the meat and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. The longer the marination, the fuller the flavor. Let come to room temperature before cooking.
2. Combine the aromatics in a small dish and seal until ready to use.
3. Combine the seasonings through the lime juice in a small bowl. Stir to blend, leaving the spoon in the bowl.
4. Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until a bead of water evaporates on contact. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil, swirl to glaze the pan, and reduce the heat to moderately high. Add the pork and toss and poke, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until the pork is 95 percent gray. Put the pork in a colander to drain. Clean the pan and return it to high heat.
5. When the pan is hot enough to evaporate a bead of water, add another 3 tablespoons of the oil. Swirl to glaze the pan and reduce the heat to moderate. When the oil is hot enough to foam a pinch of ginger, add the aromatics. Stir gently until the oil is well infused, about 2 minutes, adjusting the heat so the aromatics foam slowly without browning. Add the celery, toss to mix, then let stew until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, toss, and let stew for 4 minutes. Add the cabbage, toss, and let stew until translucent and juicy, 4 to 5 minutes more. Adjust the heat so the vegetables sizzle slowly and cook down. You want them to give up their juices (they’ll be more or less willing depending on the season and their own water content), so don’t rush the process.
6. Add the drained noodles and toss to mix. Stir the seasonings and add them to the pan. Toss well to combine. Return the pork to the pan and toss until it is cooked through and very hot to the touch. Quickly stir the cornstarch with the cold water or stock to dissolve it, then scrape it into the pan, looped over the hot filling, in a thin, even stream. Stir until the filling turns very thick, heavy, and glossy, a full 4 to 5 minutes. Nibble a bit to be sure it leaves no floury aftertaste on the roof of your mouth, indicating that the cornstarch is cooked through.
7. Spread the filling in a thin layer on 1 or 2 large platters or a jelly roll pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, until thoroughly cool. Once cool, stir; taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. The flavor should be keen, spicy, and a bit on the tart side. If you haven’t used tamarind, adjust with an extra shot of lime juice. At this point, the filling can be sealed and refrigerated for up to 2 days before rolling. Stir before using; roll while still cold.
8. To wrap, fry, and serve the springrolls, follow steps 8 through 10 on pages 335 and 336.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: Fish would be wonderful with these springrolls—either a meaty fish or fresh prawns plucked straight from the grill or oven, or any of our steamed salmon dishes. Another thought, if it is summer, is our Cold Tomato Noodles (page 394).