It feels awesome when someone praises your job, give good compliments and asking you to have more specially when making food like this very fantastic filipino food springrolls. Yes its the pinoy's ultimate soul food and totally cocktail food.Its been a long time since i made this dish for a big party here in Canada until one day i have my cravings for it again. But this time i had share it to my canadian friends and turned out they very much like it. Maybe because i added some twist on and set the authenticity of this food aside. My objective why i had to share it because i'd like to introduce Filipino foods in a western territory and to make food in the form of fusion. Normally, when making this food you have to get the very fine and fresh ingredients in the supermarket in order for your dish would come out perfectly or otherwise it will turn into crap. Filipino spring roll or lumpia in filipino words is traditionally made of sauteed ground pork with some veggies then wrap in paper thin flour wrapper and then submerge in hot frying oil until crispy. It comes with the dipping sauce like spiced vinegar or the Thai chili.
First, you will need a good mirepoix,small dice of carrots,celery,and sweet onion and at least a cup of dried cranberry but in the authentic springroll we usually put raisins instead of cranberry. I intended to do that to give this dish a sweet and tarty flavor.
Next is saute' mirepoix together with fresh ground pork in thick bottom skillet (cast iron skillet is good one if you have)at high heat. Saute them until the meats are no longer pink and the vegetables are barely tender. Season with some salt, fresh cracked pepper and a little sugar.
As i've said, i put some foreign ingredients in my springroll. I stirred a dollop of cottage cheese, sounds insane but it really did so good. Cottage cheese gives perfect salty and moist texture and tasted very nice with the pork. The cheese also plays as the finisher for the dish. Well, in my opinion, I would like to accommodate western concept in my dish. A fusion of western and Southeast Asian cuisine. I put this on top right after turning the heat off and they were done. I let the cheese melt and spread through the entire dish and then give a little stir.
Let it cool for at least 15 minutes. I let them sit for awhile to absorb all the flavor and let the excess juice absorb by the meat. The most important is when you are about to wrap the meat mixture into wrapper it will not ripped up. Cool completely is the best before wrapping.That's important and must not forget.
Place a wrapper sheet in a plate and put one and half scoop of mixture. Arrange in the center,fold the two sides and the bottom side, carefully roll tightly away from you.
( You can get nice wrapper at the Asian store or at the TNT supermarket close to Marlborough station North east.)
Wrap very tight! Ensure no holes on it otherwise it will burst when fry. Fry them in a shallow pan filled with canola oil or any neutral oils you have. A quarter of pan at least. Please do not fry springrolls in a very hot oil as the wrapper is easy to burn up. Take a 300F of heat will do make the rolls crispy and brown nicely. Fry them in a batch and do not over crowd in a pan.Too much in a frying pan will tend oil to get cold and the spring rolls will get soggy or they might burst in a pan while frying it. So, please make enough room for each rolls.
Serve with any dipping sauce you want but i would suggest to make your own sweet chili sauce. Its very easy to make. Just boil a cup of red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup deep brown sugar or more just to taste and at least 2 tablespoon finely chopped red hot chilies. Boil and reduce to 3/4 cup or until the sauce thicken. Cool to room temperature and there you have it. Home made thai chili sauce. Quite easy!!!
