Lumpiang Shanghai – Filipino Spring Rolls

By Father Ronald Maquiñana

To serve during Lent, eliminate meat from the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. ground pork
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined and minced (optional)
• ½ cup yellow onion, minced
• ¼ cup celery, minced
• 2 cups carrots, minced
• 6 tbsp. Knorr liquid seasoning
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 5 packs square spring roll wrappers; they come in 25 sheets/pack
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 48 oz. bottle vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. white wine
• 1 tbsp. salt

INGREDIENTS – for the sauce:

• 4 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2½ cups water
• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. banana ketchup
• Pinch of salt
• 2 heaping tbsp. cornstarch
• Or just get a ready-made spring roll sauce (Pantai) from Asian store like WFH Oriental Store in Strip District

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, mix well the ground pork, minced shrimp

   (optional), onion, celery, carrots, Knorr liquid seasoning, eggs,

   wine and a little salt and pepper by hand. If necessary, chop on

   a cutting board to ensure that everything is fine and well

   incorporated. Heat vegetable oil in a small frying pan, and cook

   a teaspoon of the filling to check for taste. Adjust seasoning as

   necessary. The filling can be prepared up to a day in advance

   and chilled in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.

2. To start making the lumpia, separate the wrappers in advance.

   Take one wrapper and place on your work surface on a diagonal

   so one point is facing you. Place about a tablespoon of filling

   towards the bottom of the wrapper. Turn up the bottom corner

   and roll upwards. Fold in the left and right corners, making sure

   the filling is nicely packed, with no air pockets. Then continue

   rolling. To seal the edges, dip your finger in water or a pinch of

   flour that is dissolved in water so that when you fry the lumpia,

   it will not open. The lumpia should be about 1/2 inch in diameter.

   Continue rolling until your lumpia is done. The filling can make

   about 125 rolls of lumpia.

3. Keep the lumpia covered in a single layer in the refrigerator with

   a damp paper towel over top until ready to fry, or freeze

   in an air-tight container if you will cook them later.

4. To fry the lumpia, heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer or

   deep-sided skillet to 350°. Working in batches, add the

   lumpia about 6-8 at a time, and fry until golden brown. You will

   know the lumpia are ready when they are golden brown, and

   the fillings are fully cooked. This should take about 4 minutes

   for freshly rolled lumpia, or about 6 minutes for frozen. Let the

   lumpia drain on a rimmed platter lined with paper towels.

   Put the lumpia standing up so they do not get soggy.

   Serve immediately with the sauce.

5. To make the dipping sauce, mix the vinegar, water, sugar,

   banana ketchup and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil

   and stir. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook until it becomes

   thin and clear, about 5 minutes. Take a few tablespoons of

   the liquid and create a slurry with the cornstarch, whisking until

   smooth. Stir the slurry into the sauce, whisking constantly,

   to thicken the sauce. Set aside. Or you can use a ready-made

   sauce that is available in an Asian store.