Southwest Eggrolls

A great cruncy app filled with all good things Mexican!

These unique crispy, savory appetizers first appeared in restaurants in the 80s. I was introduced to them by one of my daughters who worked in one such restaurant. An eggroll wrapper filled with almost anything works well, but with Mexican ingredients and flavors they are a marriage of brilliance! (Mexican food is one of my top five favorites for sure so I had to find a way to bring them into my own kitchen and here they are!)

Beef, pork, chorizo, turkey would be just as happy to snuggle down into one of these wrappers in concert with the veggies and spices, so use your imagination and let this recipe be a jumping-off point. I have wrapped Arab-spiced fillings, turkey with a Thanksgiving inspiration and of course many Asian-inspired fillings which feel very much at home blanketed in their indigenous eggroll wrapper. Interestingly enough, I have never filled them with eggs! Hmmm - a new one to try!

You can try the option of baking them, by brushing the filled wrappers generously with oil and baking at 400-425 degrees until golden, but they never achieve quite the same silky crunch they acquire from frying. It depends on what you want to achieve. As long as I'm making them, I go for the gold of the fried crunch!

southwest egg rolls

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can chopped green chiles

1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn niblets, thawed

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

dash of dried red pepper flakes

juice of 1 lime

3/4 cup chopped green onions, with green ends

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar or Mexican cheese blend

1 package 6 x 6 inch egg roll wrappers, or 16 small flour tortillas, thin variety

oil for frying

-In a large skillet, saute onions, red pepper and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil until very soft. Add chiles, chicken, beans and corn and warm through.

-Sprinkle cornstarch over mixture and stir until cornstarch is absorbed. Pour in chicken stock and cook over medium-high heat until stock thickens. Add red-pepper flakes, green onions and squeeze lime juice over. Mix about 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

-Remove from heat and allow to cool about 15 minutes. Stir in cheese. Set aside or chill until ready to use.

-Lay egg roll wrappers on a clean work surface, 2 or 3 at a time, in front of you with the square wrapper turned so a point faces you (creating a diamond shape). If using tortillas, it doesn't matter as they are round.

-Place about 2 tablespoons of filling on bottom third of wrapper and spread out to about 3-4 inches. Working from the bottom point, closest to you, wrap the bottom end up over the filling tucking it snugly against the filling. Turn in the two outer points, then roll completely to the top as snugly as you can. Wet the top point with water and press against the wrapped filling to help hold that point in place. (See pictures below.)

-Heat about 1 inch of oil in skillet or wok to 350 degrees on thermometer over medium-high heat. Place eggrolls in the oil, seamside down and fry until golden brown on one side then turn with tongs and fry on the other side until golden. Remove to paper-towel-lined plate and let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

-Lay rolls on bed of shredded lettuce and garnish with slivered green onions and thinly sliced red pepper strips. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and pico de gallo on the side. Makes 16-20 rolls.

Saute vegetables and add chicken,stock and spices.

Lay wrapper in diamond shape. Place filling on bottom 3rd of wrapper.

Fold bottom point over filling, tucking it in snugly.

Fold 2 side points inward, over filling.

Wet top point and continue to roll to top.

Serve eggrolls with sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**Technically, these are not eggrolls unless you use eggroll wrappers, however, they are also good wrapped in thin flour tortillas and tend to be sturdier. I am a fan of both - the eggroll wrapper has a flakier, crispy texture while the tortilla is more traditional for a Tex-Mex bready texture. But the melding of two cuisines is part of what makes them unique. Try them both ways and see which you prefer!

**If your filling mixture becomes too wet, just drain it in a colander for a few minutes before filling wrappers. Wrappers will tend to break open if the mixture is too wet. The tortillas don't mind as much.

**I like to place my cooked rolls on a bit of a slant on the paper- towel-lined platter, so some of the oil can drain off. You can place the handle of a wooden spoon on the platter to lay them against.

**These can be made ahead and kept chilled for an hour or so before frying. They may also be frozen for future use - freeze well-wrapped before cooking them. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 - 15 minutes before frying. To reheat cooked rolls, place the rolls on a tray and bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees to re-crisp them.