Country: China

Let us share our magic with you today by celebrating together
the Chinese New Year with the recipe of Shanghai Spring Rolls that are said to resemble gold bars as a symbol of wealth!

Story: The Chinese New
Year is considered to be the most important of the holidays in China. It is
based on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, which dates define both
the moon phase and the time of the solar year. Today begins the year of the Dog.

Recipe
(serves 2)

Preparation:  25 min

Ingredients:

·     
6 Chinese dried mushrooms

·      1 fresh
bamboo shoot, about 350 grams

·      250 grams
bean sprouts

·      200 grams
pork belly

·      10ml soy
sauce

·      10ml rice
wine

·      ½ tsp
granulated sugarA pinch of ground white pepper

·      2
slightly heaped tsp cornstarch

·      Cooking
oil, as needed

·      Fine sea
salt, as needed

·      40-50
fresh shrimp, with bodies about 6cm long

·      40-50
Shanghai spring-roll wrappers, thawed

·      1 egg,
whisked

For the dipping sauce:

·     
Chinese brown rice vinegar

·      Finely
minced ginger

Method:

Soak
the mushrooms in warm water until soft. Squeeze out the liquid. Remove and
discard the stems, then cut the caps into fine dice. Peel the bamboo shoot
until you reach the tender flesh. Slice the bamboo shoot about 3mm thick. Bring
a pot of water to the boil, add the bamboo slices and simmer for five minutes.
Drain and, when the bamboo is cool enough to handle, cut the slices into fine
julienne.

Cut the pork belly into
fine strips about 2cm long, put them in a bowl and add the soy sauce, rice
wine, sugar, a quarter of a teaspoon of salt, the pepper, cornstarch and 10ml
of cooking oil. Mix thoroughly then leave to marinate for about 30 minutes.
Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail intact. Devein the shrimp by cutting a slit
on the back close to the tail, then carefully pull out the dark digestive
tract. Cut a slit down the front of each shrimp along its entire length, then
lay each one belly side down on the cutting board and cut perpendicular slits
about 1cm apart down the length of the back (this helps the shrimp to remain
flat when cooked).

Heat a wok until very
hot, then add about 20ml of oil. Add the bean sprouts, sprinkle lightly with
salt then stir-fry briefly, just until the sprouts start to wilt. Transfer them
to a bowl. Heat about 20ml of oil in the wok, add the mushroom, bamboo and a
little salt and stir-fry for about a minute before putting them in the bowl.
Heat 20ml of oil in the wok, add the pork and stir-fry until the meat loses its
pink colour. Add the vegetables back into the wok and stir until thoroughly
combined. Taste the mixture and correct the seasonings if needed. Put the
ingredients into the bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring often to
release the steam.

Stack the spring-roll
wrappers on a plate and cover with a clean dishcloth. Put one wrapper on a
cutting board (if they are square, lay it so one angle is pointing towards
you). Lay a 7cm-long strip of filling down on the wrapper. Fold up the bottom
of the wrapper over the filling then fold in the sides. Roll away from you
until you reach about a third of the way, then lay one shrimp down so just the
tail is sticking out. Continue to roll until you almost reach the other side.
Very lightly brush egg on the far edge, then finish rolling. Put the spring
roll seam-side down on a baking tray lined with cling-film. Repeat with the
remaining wrappers.

Heat oil to a depth of
about 2cm in a skillet. When the oil is 180 degrees Celsius, fry the spring
rolls in batches until pale golden, then drain on paper towels. After frying
all of them, briefly fry them a second time (this makes them crisper). Drain on
paper towels then serve with the dipping sauce.

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Reprinted from: http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1410303/golden-moments-shanghai-spring-rolls